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What Are The Symptoms And Causes Of Shingles

What are the symptoms and causes of shingles
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It usually occurs as an after effect of chicken pox. After a person has chickenpox, the virus stays in the nerve tissue near the spinal cord and brain; it means anyone who has suffered from chickenpox can develop shingles. It is not possible to have shingles if you never suffered from chickenpox or the varicella virus that causes it.

Once the Varicella virus is detected in your body, it can lay dormant for years and it may be reactive multiple times. Shingles can be cured in less time by taking proper treatment and following the instructions of your doctor.

Are there any statistics pertaining to Shingles?

Around 1 in 3 people during their lifetime, develop shingles.
Shingle is a painful infection of an individual nerve area and the skin surface area.
It is estimated that there are 1 million cases of shingles every year in the U.S.

What are the conditions and causes of Shingles?

Shingles causes acute tingling, numbness, pain, and itching on a specific part of the skin, on a single side of the body
The rash appears within 1 to 5 days after the pain begins
The rash appearance is just like chickenpox, but only on the band of skin supplied by the affected nerve.
The rashes can occur on the face, eyes, mouth, and ears.
Sometimes, the blisters amalgamate, forming a solid red band that looks like a severe burn.
In the case of optical shingles, the virus invades an ophthalmic nerve and causes painful eye inflammation.
Up to a week, new blisters or sores may keep on appearing.
Swelling might be caused in the soft tissue under and around the rash.
Within 7-10 days, the blisters will gradually dry up and form scabs or crusts. At this point, the rash will no longer be considered infectious.
A shingles episode normally lasts for 2-4 weeks.

What are the common symptoms of Shingles pain?

• Fever

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Muscle pain and weakness

• Chills

• Upset stomach

• Difficulties with urination

• Fatigue

• Joint pain

• Swollen glands

• Throbbing pain in the eye with irritation and burning sensation

• Redness and inflammation in and around the eye

• Extreme sensitivity to light

• Constant eye-watering

• Blurred vision

What are the long-lasting effects of this condition?

• Ramsay Hunt syndrome

• Eye problems

• Weakness

• 10 to 20 percent people affected by shingles develop cause Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

• Skin infection

• Due to loss of pigment in the rash area, white patches appear

• Encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain

• Transverse myelitis, or swelling in the spinal cord

What are the serious complications of shingles?

If you have a rash or blister too close to your eye, you should be treated in order to avoid permanent eye damage
Shingles can cause loss of hearing power or intense pain in one ear, dizziness, or loss of taste
Bacterial infections in which your skin becomes red, swollen, and warm when touched, this infection can be caused from the open blisters.
Shingles affect the nerves in your head and can result in partial facial paralysis or hearing loss if you leave it untreated
Shingles can also cause Pneumonia
A serious and life-threatening condition of the brain or spinal cord inflammation, such as encephalitis or meningitis
Postherpetic neuralgia, which is another complication of shingles wherein the pain of shingles persists even after the rash has healed.
Having chickenpox during pregnancy can result in the birth defect or it can cause shingles to the baby.
In Neurological Complications shingles affects the nerves in the brain. The neurological complications include Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Bell’s palsy, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis, and can even cause stroke anytime in the year following the infection.

Who is prone to shingles pain?

Have had chickenpox as a child
Are above 50 years of age. No matter how healthy you are, the risk grows with age.
A weak immune system
Are experiencing any stress or trauma
Are suffering from any diseases such as HIV, diabetes, or cancer
Are taking any medications such as steroids that affect the immune system
Are undergoing treatments for certain ailments such as cancer
Are recuperating from an illness, be it even a cold, or flu
Have erratic sleeping patterns
Are suffering from malnutrition
Taking drugs can also cause shingles pain

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