HealthyCanada.com

Overview

Shingles or herpes zoster is an adult reactivation of the virus that causes childhood chickenpox. About 20 percent of the population is affected at some time in their life. Two thirds of all cases occur in people over the age of 50.

After the chickenpox ends, the virus goes into hibernation in the nerve cells along the spinal cord. Years later, the virus awakens when the immune system is weakened by age, stress or illness. Instead of covering large parts of the body, as in chickenpox, the accompanying rash usually appears only on a small area of skin along the path of a nerve, in rows like shingles on a roof.

If shingles occur on the face, the cornea of the eye is often involved. Rapid assessment by a doctor is important as this condition (known as zoster keratitis) can lead to blindness if untreated. A tingling at the tip of the nose may be a signal of possible eye involvement.

Generally, early symptoms of shingles may include sensations of burning, tingling, or itching. When the virus reaches the skin, pain, a rash, and blisters occur. The rash and blisters may appear on the chest, back, face, inside the mouth, down an arm or leg, or anywhere in a localized area or band on one side of the body. A painful rash or blisters on both sides of the body is not shingles.

For people with severe symptoms, there are many medications your doctor can prescribe to treat shingles. These include medicines that:

à Fight the virus·antiviral drugs
à Lessen pain and shorten the time you're sick·steroids
à Help with pain relief·antidepressants and anticonvulsants
à Reduce pain·analgesics

When started within 72 hours of getting the rash, these medicines help shorten the length of the infection but more importantly, they reduce the risk of post herpetic neuralgia (PHN). With treatment, shingles usually clears up in a month. However, the older you are, the more likely you will suffer persistent, on-going pain. That's because shingles destroy the protective sheath around the affected nerve which leads to PHN. The exposed nerve then continues to send pain messages to the brain for months or even years afterward. A single attack of shingles does not provide immunity, and the infection may recur.

The best way to avoid shingles is not to get chickenpox. If you haven't had chickenpox, make sure you don't touch the blisters of people with either chickenpox or shingles. Immunization against chickenpox in childhood stops the virus from establishing itself in the body and gives immunity against shingles in addition to chickenpox. If you've already had chickenpox and want to prevent shingles, keep your immune system healthy by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting plenty of rest.

Researchers have developed an experimental vaccine to prevent shingles. This vaccine is similar to the vaccine that children have been receiving since 1998 to prevent chickenpox. Researchers hope that the vaccine to prevent shingles will be offered to adults in the future.