Shingles Questions You Have…

                                   Answers You Need!

Q:

How can you prevent shingles?

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Getting the shingles vaccine is the only way to reduce the risk of developing shingles, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox, according to WebMD.

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The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for people age 60 and older. It is possible to develop shingles even after having the vaccine, but experts from Mayo Clinic say the vaccine helps reduce the severity and duration of a shingles outbreak. Side effects of the shingles vaccine include pain, redness, swelling and itching at the injection site. Some people also develop a rash similar to the one caused by chickenpox after having the vaccine.

There are some people who should not get the shingles vaccine, even if they are concerned about their risk for developing the condition. The vaccine is not recommended for people with compromised immune systems due to AIDS, HIV or other infections. Pregnant women, people with bone marrow cancer, people taking immune suppressants and those with cancer of the lymphatic system should also avoid the shingles vaccine, notes Mayo Clinic. Anyone who is allergic to neomycin, gelatin or another component of the vaccine should not be vaccinated against shingles.

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Q:

Who should get the shingles vaccine?

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Generally, adults who are age 60 and older should get the shingles vaccine, as the people in this age group are more at risk of contracting serious cases of shingles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Individuals should seek a doctor’s approval before getting the vaccine.

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Regardless of age, there are some individuals for whom the shingles vaccine can be dangerous, such as those who are allergic to gelatin, neomycin or any other ingredients in the vaccine, states the CDC. The shingles vaccine is also unsuitable for individuals who have a compromised immune system or those who are receiving immunosuppressive medications. Individuals with cancer that impacts upon their bone marrow or lymphatic system, as well as those who are receiving treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, should also avoid the shingles vaccine. Additionally, the shingles vaccine is inadvisable for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

The shingles vaccine is otherwise a safe vaccine for the eligible candidates, according to the CDC. Common side effects include minor reactions such as headaches or irritation and inflammation of the skin at the injection site. The shingles vaccine is particularly effective for adults in their 60s, with clinical trials indicating that it can significantly reduce the chances of contracting shingles. The protective benefits from the vaccine, however, can decline with time.

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Q:

What are the pros and cons of the shingles vaccine?

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Pros of the shingles vaccine include a reduced risk of developing shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia, prevention of recurrences and five years of protection from developing shingles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cons of the shingles vaccine include that the CDC doesn’t have a recommendation for routine use of the vaccine in people between ages 50 and 59, which potentially leaves some high-risk people unprotected, and that it’s not safe for those with a compromised immune system.

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The shingles vaccine, Zostavax, provides a 51 percent reduction in the risk of developing shingles and a 67 percent reduction in the risk of developing PHN, states the CDC. With shingles and PHN both being painful conditions, the reduced risk of suffering shingles outbreaks and the possible after effects of PHN is a clear positive of the vaccine. Additional pros of the shingles vaccine are that it’s an easy, single-injection dose, suitable for any time of the year, and it has minimal side effects, according to the National Health Service.

A con to consider with the shingles vaccine is that people who opt to receive the vaccination before they are 60 may not be protected by the vaccine later in life when the risks of shingles and PHN are at their highest, states the CDC. With the Food and Drug Administration approving the vaccine for people aged 50 years or older and the vaccine’s relatively short effective period of five years, some people may not receive the vaccine at the optimal time.

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Q:

What are early signs of shingles?

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The early signs of shingles are numbness, itching, tingling or burning pain in a specific part of the body or the face, according to Healthline. The abdominal area is usually where the earliest signs of shingles appear.

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As shingles develop, the pain becomes intense and sharper, but pain is not the primary early sign of shingles to look out for. There are other symptoms that may differ from one person to another. The other symptoms include tiredness, headaches, nausea, aching muscles and fever, according to Healthline.

Doctors can make an early diagnosis of shingles based on these symptoms. There is no cure for shingles, but prescribed medication can be given to reduce complications from the illness as well as reduce its life span, according to Healthline.

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Q:

How are shingles diagnosed?

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Doctors diagnose shingles based on a history of pain on one side with an accompanying rash and blisters, notes Mayo Clinic. They may run tests on the blisters to confirm a shingles diagnosis. 

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People suffering from shingles have symptoms such as pain, numbness or tingling, a red rash and itching, according to Mayo Clinic. Some people with shingles also experience headaches, fever, sensitivity to light and fatigue. The shingles rash normally appears in a small area on one side of the body, though it can also appear on the face or neck. People who suspect they have shingles should see their doctors, particularly if the rash appears next to the eye, as left untreated it can lead to permanent eye damage. People with compromised immune systems and people over the age of 70 should also see their doctors immediately if they have the symptoms of shingles.

People who have had chickenpox are at risk of developing shingles, as it is caused by the same virus, which may stay in the blood stream for years before symptoms of shingles develop, states Mayo Clinic. The exact reason why the virus becomes active and results in shingles is not known, as of 2015, though it may be connected to an inability to fight infections as people age. Shingles is contagious and can be passed to anyone who is not immune to chickenpox.

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Q:

Can a blood test diagnose shingles?

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A blood test can confirm an infection in cases where a shingles diagnosis is difficult due to lack of rashes and blisters, but the test cannot conclusively diagnose the infection as shingles, says HealthinAging.org. With blisters, health care providers scrape them to get samples to test.

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In many cases, shingles is diagnosed via skin examinations, medical histories and an examination of symptoms, according to HealthinAging.org. Sometimes the shingles infection is so painful and intense that a patient feels as though he is having a heart attack before any rashes develops. Treatment that begins within 24 hours before the appearance of any rash is usually most effective, although treatment within 72 hours tends to help greatly as well.

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Q:

What are the signs of shingles in women?

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Signs of shingles in women include burning, pain, tingling and numbness around the site of the rash. These symptoms often occur in the days and weeks before a rash appears, explains WebMD. Flu-like symptoms and tenderness or swelling around the lymph nodes may also occur.

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In the active stage of shingles, people experience new symptoms, such as a rash, blisters and piercing pain, claims WebMD. The rash can appear anywhere on the body, but it only appears on either the left or the right side, not both. Blisters begin to form and fill with a clear liquid that may become cloudy after a few days. A rash may also appear on the face, and if near the eye, it may threaten sight unless treated immediately. Usually, the rash lasts two to four weeks though scarring can last longer.

The third and final stage of shingles also has signs associated with it, including chronic pain, according to WebMD. A woman may experience burning, aching or stabbing pain in the area where the rash was, and she may experience sensitivity to touch. The pain lasts for at least 30 days in most cases, and it can last for years in some individuals. The pain associated with this stage of shingles generally occurs on the chest or forehead and can make it difficult for the patient to eat and sleep.

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Q:

How do you identify shingles in children?

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To identify shingles in children or any other patient, doctors can check for the classic symptom associated with this condition, which is a rash consisting of red spots that become blisters within 24 hours, notes the New York Times. In cases where there are no symptoms present, laboratory testing techniques, such as viral culture, immunofluorescence assay and polymerase chain reaction are useful tools for detecting the virus.

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Shingle is a condition that affects mainly older adults who had chickenpox. Nevertheless, children, who have weak immune systems or had chickenpox before the age of 1 year, are at a higher risk level for developing shingles, states the New York Times.

The varicella-zoster virus causes both chickenpox and shingles. Once an individual has chickenpox, it is possible that later on in life he may develop shingles. Shingles causes a series of symptoms. The early symptoms are pain and a tingling sensation on the affected body part. In the second stage of shingles, the rash and blister formation appear on one side of the body, notes WebMD. It is at this point that doctors can diagnose the condition.

When the rash symptom is not present, it can be more difficult to diagnose shingles and laboratory testing is necessary, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The immunofluorescence assay test detects antibodies of the varicella-zoster virus through the use of ultraviolet light. A viral culture taken from a sample of the fluid from the blisters may also help to diagnose any atypical cases of shingles in children. The polymerase chain reaction laboratory test involves making copies of the virus’s DNA for its detection.

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Q:

Where do shingles usually appear?

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The shingles rash normally appears on one side of the torso, but it sometimes appears on the side of the face or neck or around one eye, according to Mayo Clinic. It usually presents as a strip of blisters.

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Shingles usually begins with a sensation of pain, tingling, numbness or burning, explains Mayo Clinic. Within a few days, a rash develops with fluid-filled blisters that eventually form scabs. Other possible symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and sensitivity to light.

It takes between two and six weeks for the shingles rash to run its course, notes Mayo Clinic. If a patient receives prompt medical treatment with antiviral medications, he often recovers more quickly and is less likely to develop complications.

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Q:

How can shingles be detected early?

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The earliest signs of a shingles outbreak are typically burning, tingling, or itching on any skin of the torso and occasionally areas of the face, according to NIH Senior Health. Feeling weak and feverish is sometimes reported before a shingles outbreak as well.

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Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and then remains dormant in central nervous tissue for life, says the Mayo Clinic. Years later, the inactive virus can then erupt to the skin and cause a shingles outbreak. When shingles occurs, symptoms normally occur along specific patches of skin that run along nerve pathways called dermatomes, according to NIHSeniorHealth. The nerve paths branch from the spine where the virus lies dormant, and the skin along these branches will become sensitive or painful before blisters erupt.

Most infections in the body begin with the patient feeling feverish or weak, and this is often the first sign that a shingles outbreak may occur, says NIH Senior Health. As the virus travels from the nerve cells to the skin over the course of two or three days, the skin above that area begins to tingle or burn and may become itchy as time goes on. Once these first symptoms begin to appear, visiting a medical professional for treatment can lessen the severity of the outbreak.

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Q:

What are some symptoms of shingles without rash?

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The symptoms of shingles prior to the appearance of the rash include pain, numbness and a burning or tingling sensation. A person may also experience sensitivity to light and headaches, as well as flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea, explains WebMD.

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The cause of shingles is the reactivation of the dormant chickenpox virus in the body. There are two phases to the virus, according to WebMD. The first stage is the prodromal stage before the rash appears. It starts with pain around the affected nerves and the symptoms mentioned above. People who suffer from shingles may also experience lymph node swelling. After several weeks or days, a rash appears. This is the second stage of the shingles virus known as the active stage.

The rash can affect any area of the body; it tends to present only on one side of the body and generally presents on the torso, notes WebMD. Once the rash appears, blisters form and fill with fluid. The rash can last anywhere from two to four weeks. Contact a doctor if the rash, and the pain from the rash, occurs near the eyes or if the afflicted person is over 70 or has a compromised immune system.

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Q:

Can you have internal shingles without the rash on the outside of the skin?

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Shingles pain unaccompanied by the shingles rash is uncommon but still possible, according to Mayo Clinic. Known as zoster sine herpete, this type of shingles occurs more often in elderly patients and can be more difficult to diagnose initially, reports The New York Times.

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Pain is usually the earliest symptom of shingles, according to The New York Times. The sensation varies among patients, described as sharp, aching, piercing, tearing or electric. The area of infection can also become sensitive, itchy or tingly, worsening the symptoms of pain. All patients with shingles experience severe pain. Other symptoms include blisters, muscle aches, fever and fatigue, reports Mayo Clinic.

Shingles is divided into three stages, states The New York Times. The first stage, prodrome, serves as a warning sign and is characterized by the pain. It generally lasts only one to five days before the second stage, the active infection, occurs, usually signaled by the start of the rash. The pain may persist past the prodrome stage. While the rash is most often found on the trunk or side of the head, if it encroaches on the eye or follows the noise, the cornea is in danger.

The third stage, known as postherpetic neuralgia, occurs in 10 to 20 percent of patients, says The New York Times. It is marked by persistent and lingering pain.

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Q:

What causes the pain of shingles?

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Shingles pain occurs when dormant viral cells, lurking for years in nerve clusters called sensory ganglia, reactivate and travel down the nerves to the skin, states the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Along the way, the viral cells blaze a painful trail and may cause sensory loss.

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Once the viral cells reach the skin, they multiply, causing the characteristic itchy rash associated with shingles, reports the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The viral cells enter the body following exposure to chicken pox, and as of 2014, the government does not know what causes them to reactivate. The pain and itching of shingles can linger after the infection is cured.

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