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How to Treat and Prevent Shingles with Dr. Mark Shalauta | San Diego Health

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https://medicine.duke.edu/faculty/kenneth-edwin-schmader-md?page=12

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The shingles virus can present itself in various ways, which can make it difficult for physicians to accurately diagnose the virus. For this reason, PCR is recommended to test the complicated diagnostic cases of shingles.
Schmader K. Herpes Zoster. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Aug 7;169(3):ITC19-ITC31. doi: 10.7326/AITC201808070. Erratum in: Ann Intern Med. 2018 Oct 2;169(7):516. PMID: 30083718.
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The only known method to prevent the shingles is a vaccine against it. There are currently two vaccines on the market: Shingrix and Zostavax. However, Zostavax is no longer available for use in the U.S. as of July 2020. The vaccine is only approved for use in people aged 50 and older. Shingles can target anyone at any age. I, myself, had shingles at just five years old. However, the shingles virus most commonly affects those aged 50 and older and is more dangerous to those as well, which is probably why the vaccine is only available to them.

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Overview

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Although shingles can occur anywhere on your body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of your torso.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

Shingles isn't a life-threatening condition, but it can be very painful. Vaccines can help reduce the risk of shingles. Early treatment can help shorten a shingles infection and lessen the chance of complications. The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia, which causes shingles pain for a long time after your blisters have cleared.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of shingles usually affect only a small section of one side of your body. These signs and symptoms may include:

Pain, burning, numbness or tingling

Sensitivity to touch

A red rash that begins a few days after the pain

Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over

Itching

Some people also experience:

Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some, it can be intense. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for a symptom of problems affecting the heart, lungs or kidneys. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash.

Most commonly, the shingles rash develops as a stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or right side of your torso. Sometimes the shingles rash occurs around one eye or on one side of the neck or face.

When to see a doctor

Contact your doctor promptly if you suspect shingles, but especially in the following situations:

The pain and rash occur near an eye. If left untreated, this infection can lead to permanent eye damage.

You're 60 or older, because age significantly increases your risk of complications.

You or someone in your family has a weakened immune system (due to cancer, medications or chronic illness).

The rash is widespread and painful.

Causes

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus enters your nervous system and lies dormant for years.

Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin - producing shingles. But, not everyone who's had chickenpox will develop shingles.

The reason for shingles is unclear. But it may be due to lowered immunity to infections as you grow older. Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weakened immune systems.

Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses, which includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Because of this, shingles is also known as herpes zoster. But the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles is not the same virus responsible for cold sores or genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection.

Are you contagious?

A person with shingles can pass the varicella-zoster virus to anyone who isn't immune to chickenpox. This usually occurs through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash. Once infected, the person will develop chickenpox, however, not shingles.

Chickenpox can be dangerous for some people. Until your shingles blisters scab over, you are contagious and should avoid physical contact with anyone who hasn't yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, especially people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.

Risk factors

Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. Most adults in the United States had chickenpox when they were children, before the advent of the routine childhood vaccination that now protects against chickenpox.

Factors that may increase your risk of developing shingles include:

Being older than 50. Shingles is most common in people older than 50. The risk increases with age.

Having certain diseases. Diseases that weaken your immune system, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, can increase your risk of shingles.

Undergoing cancer treatments. Radiation or chemotherapy can lower your resistance to diseases and may trigger shingles.

Taking certain medications. Drugs designed to prevent rejection of transplanted organs can increase your risk of shingles - as can prolonged use of steroids, such as prednisone.

Complications

Complications from shingles can include:

Postherpetic neuralgia. For some people, shingles pain continues long after the blisters have cleared. This condition is known as postherpetic neuralgia, and it occurs when damaged nerve fibers send confused and exaggerated messages of pain from your skin to your brain.

Vision loss. Shingles in or around an eye (ophthalmic shingles) can cause painful eye infections that may result in vision loss.

Neurological problems. Depending on which nerves are affected, shingles can cause an inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), facial paralysis, or hearing or balance problems.

Skin infections. If shingles blisters aren't properly treated, bacterial skin infections may develop.

Prevention

A shingles vaccine may help prevent shingles.

People looking to receive the shingles vaccine have two options: Shingrix and Zostavax.

In the United States, Shingrix was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 and is preferred to Zostavax. Studies suggest that Shingrix offers protection against shingles for more than five years. Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine made of a virus component. It is given in two doses, with two to six months between doses.

Shingrix is approved and recommended for people age 50 and older, including those who've previously received Zostavax or had shingles.

Zostavax has been shown to offer protection against shingles for about five years. It's a live vaccine given as a single injection, usually in the upper arm. Zostavax is recommended for people age 60 and older. While it is no longer being sold in the U.S. as of July 2020, other countries may still use it.

The most common side effects of either shingles vaccine are redness, pain, tenderness, swelling and itching at the injection site, and headaches.

The shingles vaccine doesn't guarantee that you won't get shingles. But this vaccine will likely reduce the course and severity of the disease and reduce your risk of postherpetic neuralgia.

The shingles vaccine is used only as a prevention strategy. It's not intended to treat people who currently have the disease. Talk to your doctor about which option is right for you.

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Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Although shingles can occur anywhere on your body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of your torso. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox.

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Diagnosis: Shingles can typically be diagnosed by the appearance of the burning pain followed by the blister-filled rash. Shingles can also be diagnosed by a physician scraping tissue from the blisters to examine in a lab.
Treatment: Shingles usually clears up on its own but medicines such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are prescribed to shorten the length and severity of the symptoms.

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Several antiviral medicines-acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir-are available to treat shingles and shorten the length and severity of the illness. These medicines are most effective if you start taking them as soon as possible after the rash appears. If you think you have shingles, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment.

Pain medicine, either over-the-counter or a prescription from your doctor, may help relieve the pain caused by shingles. Wet compresses, calamine lotion, and colloidal oatmeal baths (a lukewarm bath mixed with ground up oatmeal) may help relieve itching.

Also see Transmission

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Several antiviral medicines-acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir-are available to treat shingles and shorten the length and severity of the illness. These medicines are most effective if you start taking them as soon as possible after the rash appears. If you think you have shingles, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment.

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-Paining/burning and itching
-A red rash with fluid-filled blisters
-Could cause vision loss is rash is near the eye

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A shingles vaccine may help prevent shingles. People who are eligible should get the Shingrix vaccine, which has been available in the United States since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017. The Zostavax vaccine is no longer available in the U.S., but other countries may still use it.

Shingrix is approved and recommended for people age 50 and older, whether they've had shingles or not. People who've had the Zostavax vaccine in the past or don't know whether they've had chickenpox may also receive the Shingrix vaccine.

Shingrix is also recommended for people who are 19 years of age and older who have weakened immune systems due to disease or medication.

Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine made of a virus component. It's given in two doses, with 2 to 6 months between doses. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine are redness, pain and swelling at the injection site. Some people also experience fatigue, headache and other side effects.

The shingles vaccine doesn't guarantee that you won't get shingles. But this vaccine will likely reduce the course and severity of the disease. And it will likely lower your risk of postherpetic neuralgia. Studies suggest that Shingrix offers protection against shingles for more than five years.

Talk to your health care provider about your vaccination options if you:

Have had an allergic reaction to any component of the shingles vaccine

Have a weakened immune system due to a condition or medication

Have had a stem cell transplant

Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant

The shingles vaccine is used only as a way to prevent shingles. It's not intended to treat people who currently have the disease.

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Shingles-Shingles - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

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Learn more about symptoms, causes, treatment and vaccine prevention of this painful condition affecting the nerves.

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The causative agent is the human herpesvirus 3 (HHV-3).

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Herpes Zoster, also known as shingles, is a viral infection that causes an intense rash that blisters. This rash is often painful and, depending upon the location, can sometimes be dangerous.

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A shingles vaccine may help prevent shingles. People who are eligible should get the Shingrix vaccine, which has been available in the United States since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017. The Zostavax vaccine is no longer available in the U.S., but other countries may still use it.

Shingrix is approved and recommended for people age 50 and older, whether they've had shingles or not. People who've had the Zostavax vaccine in the past or don't know whether they've had chickenpox may also receive the Shingrix vaccine.

Shingrix is also recommended for people who are 19 years of age and older who have weakened immune systems due to disease or medication.

Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine made of a virus component. It's given in two doses, with 2 to 6 months between doses. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine are redness, pain and swelling at the injection site. Some people also experience fatigue, headache and other side effects.

The shingles vaccine doesn't guarantee that you won't get shingles. But this vaccine will likely reduce the course and severity of the disease. And it will likely lower your risk of postherpetic neuralgia. Studies suggest that Shingrix offers protection against shingles for more than five years.

Talk to your health care provider about your vaccination options if you:

Have had an allergic reaction to any component of the shingles vaccine

Have a weakened immune system due to a condition or medication

Have had a stem cell transplant

Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant

The shingles vaccine is used only as a way to prevent shingles. It's not intended to treat people who currently have the disease.

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Shingles-Shingles - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic

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Learn more about symptoms, causes, treatment and vaccine prevention of this painful condition affecting the nerves.

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Shingles

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About 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles, also known as herpes zoster, in their lifetime. An estimated 1 million people get shingles each year in this country. If you've ever had chickenpox, you can get shingles. Even children can get shingles. Your risk of shingles increases as you get older.

Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body. This virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles.

Pain, itching, or tingling of the skin followed by a

Painful rash of blister-like sores, usually on one side of the body, often on the face or torso

Fever

Headache

Chills

Upset stomach

Zostavax is no longer available for use in the United States, as of November 18, 2020.

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Almost 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will develop shingles, or zoster or herpes zoster, in their lifetime.