Shingles, otherwise known as herpes zoster is a common condition affecting as many as 1 million people in the USA each and every year, equating to one in every three people. (1) If you’ve already had the dreaded chickenpox when you were a child, you are at risk of developing shingles, this possibility increasing as you advance in your years. (1,2)
The very same virus that causes childhood chickenpox (Varicella-zoster virus) can re-emerge as shingles after lying dormant in your nerve cells from that time of your pox. You have to have suffered chickenpox first in order to get shingles.
When this reactivation occurs, you are contagious, but you cannot give someone else shingles. You can, however, infect people with chickenpox if they haven’t been exposed to the virus in the past. (5)
Causes Of Shingles
Consensus amongst doctors is that this reactivation is caused by lowered immunity. This can happen for a number of reasons:
- Aging, most commonly over 70. (3)
- Stress, physical, and emotional. (3)
- Cancer treatments including chemotherapy. (3)
- HIV and AIDS, due to weakened immune system. (3)
- Babies less than one month old; antibody system not yet developed. (4)
- Organ transplants and subsequent drugs. (4)
- Cold or flu. ( 3,4)
- Getting too much sunshine exposure. (3)
- Recent bone marrow transplant; conditioning beforehand weakens the immune system. (4)
Symptoms And Signs Of Shingles
A diagnosis from your doctor is necessary if you experience some of the following early symptoms:
- General malaise. (4)
- Chills and fever. (4)
- Headache. (4)
- Upset stomach. (3)
- Swollen lymph glands. (6)
- If shingles start to appear on the face sometimes vision loss can occur, accompanied by red-eye, conjunctivitis, or a sticky coating on eyelashes. (4)
Ongoing Symptoms And Complications
Because shingles affects the nervous system it can progress into quite the painful illness, with burning, tingling, and itching arriving next, and a rash and fluid-filled blisters, similar in appearance to the chickenpox. The rash usually affects a specific area on one side of the body only, and interestingly doesn’t cross over the midline of the body when does occur. (4)
Very rarely shingles can lead to other problems like pneumonia, hearing issues, brain inflammation, and even unfortunately death. (2)
Post-hermetic neuralgia is yet another distressing complication of shingles that can occur ongoing. This nerve pain is felt in the area of the body where the rash originally occurred. The older you are, the greater the chance of this debilitating and depressing complication. (3)
Symptoms of shingles can be mild to very severe and potentially long-lasting. It’s important to visit your doctor as early as possible to receive pain medication and possibly anti-virals. Take precautions if you are near anyone who has a weakened immune system if you suspect that you may have shingles (5)
It’s always an idea to build up your immune system at home, keep stress levels at a minimum, get plenty of sleep, and maintain a healthy diet.
Relentlessly, even the word (shingles) comes from the Latin word cingulum, which means belt or girdle. (6) Not a belt you want wrapped around your body, or banded in your nerve system anytime soon. We’re talking adult chickenpox after all!
