Shingles: Symptoms, Complications and Prevention

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that no one wants to deal with. The intense pain and rash are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll explain what shingles is, why it occurs, who is most likely to develop it, and how you can protect yourself or treat the condition.

What is shingles?

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox at some point in your life, you should know that the virus hasn’t completely gone away; it lies dormant in your nerve cells, waiting for an opportunity to reappear.

Sometimes, years later, when your immune system is weaker or under stress, it can reawaken as shingles, causing a painful, blistering rash.

Who is at risk for shingles?

Who is at risk for shingles? Usually, people who have had chickenpox before. Among these, those most likely to develop the disease are:

– People with a weakened immune system (due to cancer, HIV, organ transplant recipients, or those undergoing chemotherapy).

– People over 50 years of age.

– People who have been ill.

– People who have suffered some type of trauma.

– People who are under stress.

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Early symptoms of the disease include:

– Fever

– Chills

– Headache

– Fatigue

– Sensitivity to light

– Stomach upset

Other signs and symptoms that appear a few days after the first symptoms include:

– A feeling of itching, tingling, or burning in an area of ​​the skin.

– Redness of the skin in the affected area.

– A raised rash on a small area of ​​the skin.

– Fluid-filled blisters that rupture and then crust over.

– Mild to severe pain in the affected area of ​​skin.

Complications of Shingles

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