How Long Will The Effects Last
The rash from shingles will heal in 1 to 3 weeks and the pain or irritation will usually go away in 3 to 5 weeks. When shingles occurs on the head or scalp, the symptoms usually go away eventually, but it may take many months.
If the virus damages a nerve, you may have pain, numbness, or tingling for months or even years after the rash is healed. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. This chronic condition is most likely to occur after a shingles outbreak in people over 50 years old. Taking antiviral medicine as soon as the shingles is diagnosed may help prevent this problem.
What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Shingles
A vaccine for chickenpox is available and it is hoped that individuals immunized against chickenpox will be less likely to develop shingles in later life.
The risk of spreading the virus that causes shingles is low if the rash is covered. People with shingles should keep the rash covered, not touch or scratch the rash, and wash their hands often to prevent the spread of shingles. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.
Who Is At Risk For Getting Shingles
People who have had chickenpox who are more likely to develop shingles include those:
- With a weakened immune system .
- Over the age of 50.
- Who have been ill.
- Who have experienced trauma.
- Who are under stress.
The chickenpox virus doesnt leave your body after you have chickenpox. Instead, the virus stays in a portion of your spinal nerve root called the dorsal root ganglion. For the majority of people, the virus stays there quietly and doesn’t cause problems. Researchers aren’t always sure why the virus gets reactivated, but this typically occurs at times of stress.
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What Are The Complications Associated With Shingles
Shingles is not usually dangerous to healthy individuals although it can cause great misery during an attack. Anyone with shingles on the upper half of their face, no matter how mild, should seek medical care at once because of the risk of damage to the eye. Very rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation or death. For about one person in five, severe pain can continue even after the rash clears up. This pain is called post-herpetic neuralgia. As people get older, they are more likely to develop post-herpetic neuralgia, and it is more likely to be severe.
Herpes Vs Shingles Treatment
Genital and oral herpes and shingles are all often treated through a combination of prescription medications and home remedies like warm baths. It is uncommon for herpes to cause significant pain, however, shingles can sometimes produce a burning sensation and a severe rash. Those with serious cases of shingles may find more extensive treatment options like anticonvulsants and tricyclic depressants helpful.
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Is Herpes Zoster Common
Herpes zoster is more common in people with a depressed immune system and those over the age of 50. It’s quite rare in children and the symptoms are mild compared to what an adult may experience. Children most at risk for herpes zoster are those who had chicken pox during the first year of life or whose mothers had chicken pox very late during pregnancy.
How Can I Take Care Of Myself
- Take a pain-relief medicine such as acetaminophen. Take other medicine as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
- Put cool, moist washcloths on the rash.
- Rest in bed during the early stages if you have fever and other symptoms.
- Try not to let clothing or bed linens rub against the rash and irritate it.
- You develop worsening pain or fever.
- You develop a severe headache, stiff neck, hearing loss, or changes in your ability to think.
- The blisters show signs of bacterial infection, such as increasing pain or redness, or milky yellow drainage from the blister sites.
- The blisters are close to the eyes or you have pain in your eyes or trouble seeing.
- You have trouble walking.
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How Contagious Is Chickenpox
Chickenpox is considered a very contagious viral infection. The virus is airborne, spread by breathing in particles that arise from the blisters. It can also be contracted by directly touching the fluid that comes from the vesicles .
Chickenpox is considered contagious from one to two days before the rash breaks out until the blisters have all formed scabs. Once all the scabs have formed, the disease cannot be spread.
Are Shingles And Herpes The Same
Herpes and shingles are common conditions often mistaken for each other because of their similar names and symptoms. Herpes is a sexually-transmitted infection that often results in the appearance of cold sores. Shingles, on the other hand, is not an STD. Shingles is caused by reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox and can result in pain and the appearance of an uncomfortable rash. In the following article we discuss the differences between herpes and shingles.
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How Contagious Is Shingles
Although shingles cannot be spread from one person to another, a person who has an active breakout of shingles can spread the chickenpox virus to a person who has not had chickenpox before.
Its important to note that the only way to get shingles is from a reactivation of the chickenpox virus that has gone dormant it is not contagious as far as being spread from person to person as shingles.
In other words, if you have never had chickenpox, you cannot contract shingles from someone who has it, but the person with shingles could transmit the chickenpox virus to you.
Herpes Vs Shingles: Summary
Herpes and shingles are common conditions often mistaken for each other because of their similar names and symptoms. Herpes is an sexually-transmitted infection that often results in the appearance of cold sores. On the other hand, shingles is the common name for herpes zoster, an acute viral infection that causes rash, pain, and blistering.
Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chicken pox. Although they are different conditions, the treatment options of herpes and shingles are very similar.
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What Are Risk Factors For Shingles
A weakened immune system might wake up the virus. After youâve had chickenpox, youâre more likely to get shingles if you:
- Are 50 or older
- Are under a lot of stress
- Have cancer, HIV, or another disease that lowers your bodyâs defenses
- Have had a serious physical injury
- Take long-term steroids or other medicines that can weaken your immune system
But many people who get shingles donât fit into any of these categories.
Is There A Way I Can Keep From Being Infected With Chickenpox
Yes, make sure all your vaccines are up to date, especially if you are planning a pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and those you love. If you are not immune, you should be vaccinated. You will receive two doses of varicella vaccine one month apart. You should avoid becoming pregnant for at least one month after the last vaccination. Varicella vaccine should not be given to pregnant women. If you are pregnant, have your healthcare provider give you the varicella vaccine after your baby is delivered.
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What Are The Complications Of Shingles
After the shingles rash has disappeared, you might continue to have nerve pain in that same area. Postherpetic neuralgia can last for months or years and become quite severe.
More than 10% of people who get shingles develop postherpetic neuralgia. Researchers dont know why some people get postherpetic neuralgia and others dont. It may be that nerves become more sensitive or that the virus may be invading and damaging the central nervous system.
Other complications include:
- Other types of nerve issues like numbness or itching.
- A bacterial infection of the shingles rash.
- Eye and ear inflammation if the rash is near these organs.
Are Chickenpox And Shingles Serious Illnesses
The symptoms may be more severe in newborns, persons with weakened immune systems, and adults. Serious problems can occur and may include pneumonia , brain infection , and kidney problems. Many people are not aware that before a vaccine was available, approximately 10,600 persons were hospitalized, and 100 to 150 died, as a result of chickenpox in the U.S. every year.
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Conventional Treatment And Prevention
Standard treatment for herpes virus infections is antiviral medication. The main antiviral medications used for both shingles and herpes are acyclovir, famciclovir , and valacyclovir .10,64,72 All three medications can be taken orally, reduce pain, and speed healing of the lesions however, famciclovir and valacyclovir areoften preferred because they require less frequent dosing than acyclovir.72
Which Type Of Herpes Virus Causes Shingles
Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus , the same virus that causes varicella .
Can you get shingles from herpes virus?
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Its sometimes called herpes zoster because its part of the herpes virus family, but its not the same virus that causes herpes.
What STD can cause shingles?
Causes and Transmission Shingles is not caused by the same virus that causes genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease. Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another.
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Shingles By Any Other Name Is Still Herpes
No one likes to hear the word herpes mentioned during a medical visit, since it tends have all of those negative sexual connotations. I rarely just blurt it out to patients. We use those nicer words for herpes: shingles, chicken pox, cold sores, or fever blisters.
Chicken pox, a herpes viral infection, was once considered a rite of passage for most children. Now, the routine varicella vaccine will prevent most of these cases, and even protect you against shingles. No one seems pay attention to cold sores, another herpes-type infection. Shingles will make a person take notice.
Shingles by any other name is still a form of herpes. There are many different kinds of herpetic infections, but questions regarding plain ol Shingles is one of the most frequent postings that occur on the WebMD General Health Board. Why?
Because in the United States, nearly 100% of adults have detectable herpes antibodies by the time they are 30 years old. Humans are the only source of infection, so we caught it from someone. In other words, nearly all of us have already been exposed and have the latent virus present in our bodies. The virus is just hanging around, living quietly in a nerve bundle, and suppressed by our immune systems.
Herpes zoster is incurable, but it is treatable. And, many herpes infections, like chicken pox, it is preventable by vaccine.
What Are The Symptoms Of Herpes Zoster
The rash associated with herpes zoster most often occurs on the trunk and buttocks. It may also appear on the arms, legs or face. While symptoms may vary child to child, the most common include:
- skin hypersensitivity in the area where the herpes zoster is to appear
- mild rash, which appears after five days and first looks like small, red spots that turn into blisters
- blisters, which turn yellow and dry, often leaving small, pitted scars
- rash goes away in one to two weeks
- rash is usually localized to one side of the body
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Can You Get Shingles From The Covid
There have been a few reports of shingles happening in people who were vaccinated against COVID-19. The varicella-zoster virus was reactivated in these people.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
If youve had chickenpox, youre at risk of developing shingles later in life. Shingles causes a rash that is contagious and painful. The disease can have serious complications. The best thing you can do to reduce your risk is to get the shingles vaccine. The vaccines are safe and effective.
Im Pregnant And Have Had A Blood Test For Chickenpox What Do The Results Of This Test Show
The blood test can show that you:
- Are immune and have no sign of recent infection. You have nothing further to be concerned about.
- Are not immune and have not yet been infected. You should avoid anyone with chickenpox during your pregnancy.
- Have or recently had an infection. You should discuss what the risks are for your stage of pregnancy with your healthcare provider.
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Progesterone Hormonal Contraception And Herpes Infection In Women
A number of studies have shown that multiple aspects of immunity in the female genital tract are controlled by sex hormones, and hormones influence susceptibility to several sexually transmitted diseases, including HSV infection.
Evidence from animal studies has shown that treatment with female sex hormones had a significant impact on rates of HSV-2 transmission. Treatment with estradiol was found to confer some protection against vaginal HSV-2 infection in a mouse model, whereas progesterone was found to exacerbateviral infection and contributed to extensive inflammation.146-148 This may be because progesterone induces a diestrus-like state, during which mice are most susceptible to HSV-2 infection.149
What Are The Symptoms
The first sign of shingles is often burning, sharp pain, tingling, or numbness in your skin on one side of your body or face. The most common site is the back or upper abdomen. You may have severe itching or aching. You also may feel tired and ill with fever, chills, headache, and upset stomach or belly pain.
One to 14 days after you start feeling pain, you will notice a rash of small blisters on reddened skin. Within a few days after they appear, the blisters will turn yellow, then dry and crust over. Over the next 2 weeks the crusts drop off, and the skin continues to heal over the next several days to weeks.
Because shingles usually follows nerve paths, the blisters are usually found in a line, often extending from the back or side around to the belly. The blisters are almost always on just one side of the body. Shingles usually doesn’t cross the midline of the body. The rash also may appear on one side of your face or scalp. The painful rash may be in the area of your ear or eye. When shingles occurs on the head or scalp, symptoms can include headaches and weakness of one side of the face, which causes that side of the face to look droopy. The symptoms usually go away eventually, but it may take many months.
In some cases the pain can last for weeks, months, or years, long after the rash heals. This is called postherpetic neuralgia.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Shingles
Symptoms of shingles include:
- Hypersensitive area of the skin where the rash is preparing to break out that may itch or feel tingly
- Rash that appears on the trunk of the body
- Blisters that appear in clusters
- Mild itching or discomfort from mild to intense pain
- Vesicles turn yellow and begin to dry and crust over
The rash that develops from shingles typically heals in two to four weeks, often leaving pigment changes and pitted scarring.
Is A Vaccine Available To Prevent Shingles
Two vaccines are available in the United States to reduce your chance of developing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. One vaccine, Zostavax®, has been available since 2006. The second vaccine, Shingrix®, has been available since 2017. Shingrix is recommended as the preferred vaccine by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of medical and public health experts.
Shingrix is given as a two-dose shot in your upper arm. You should receive the second dose two to six months after receiving the first. Shingrix has been shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. Its effectiveness remains above 85% for at least four years after receiving the vaccine.
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Do You Need To Stay Away From Children People Who Are Pregnant Have Cancer Or Anyone With A Weak Immune System After You Get The Zostavax Vaccine
According to the CDC, its safe to be around babies and young children, pregnant women or anyone with a weakened immune system after you get the Zostavax vaccine. Even though the Zostavax vaccine contains a weakened live varicella-zoster virus, the CDC says theres no documented case of a person getting chickenpox from someone who has received the Zostavax vaccine. And remember: You cant get shingles unless youve already had chickenpox.
Do You Always Get The Typical Rash If You Have Shingles
Occasionally, some people dont get a rash. If you have any of the other symptoms of shingles , see your healthcare provider sooner rather than later. There are effective treatments you can take early for shingles. Even if you dont have shingles, seeing your healthcare provider will help you get your condition diagnosed and treated.
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Institutional Review Board Statement
As individual participants cannot be identified based on the presented material this study caused no plausible harm or stigma to participating individuals. As the study had an anonymous, observational design and did not configure itself as a clinical trial, a preliminary evaluation by an Ethical Committee/Institutional Review Board was not required, according to Italian law .
How Are Shingles And Herpes Treated
Neither condition can be cured, but treatments are available.
Shingles is treated with both antiviral prescription medications that can speed up your healing and with medications that can help with your pain. Your exact treatment plan will depend on:
- how severe your case is
- your overall health
- the medications you already take
Antiviral options include:
Herpes is also treated with antiviral medication.
Antivirals can help you heal first and reduce your symptoms. Depending on your case and your overall health, you might take these medications during an outbreak or daily.
Options for herpes treatment include both acyclovir and valacyclovir.
Some other pain management options may include:
- numbing patches, gels, or creams you can apply to your skin
- codeine or other narcotic medications
- steroid injections
- anticonvulsants or antidepressants that can control pain
Talk with a doctor before using any of the treatments above. These treatments should not be used without guidance from a medical professional. A medical professional can help you avoid any unintended side effects, such as allergic reactions.
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