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Herpes Zoster: Everything You Need to Know

Men's Health, Nervous System Diseases, Skin Conditions, Women's Health / By

Herpes Zoster

  • Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is also responsible for causing chickenpox.
  • The virus can live in the nervous system for a long time after your chickenpox goes away, and it can reactivate as shingles.
  • The disease is characterized by a red skin rash that causes burning and pain. The rash shows up as a stripe of blisters, either on the torso, face, or neck.
  • The blisters go away after 2 to 3 weeks, and they are highly unlikely to reappear.
  • According to statistics, 1 in 3 people in the US has had herpes zoster at some point in their lives.
  • Let’s look at this medical condition in detail:

Causes

  • Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella-zoster virus that stays in the body after chickenpox goes away.
  • The virus can reactivate after several years.
  • The cause behind this reactivation is not clear. It is usually attributed to a weakened immune system due to age, and herpes zoster is more common as you get older.
  • Typical risk factors for the condition are:
  1. Aging
  2. Emotional stress
  3. Weakened immune system
  4. Undergoing treatment for cancer
  5. Recovering after a major surgery

Symptoms

  • The initial symptoms of herpes zoster are pain and burning. The burning sensation occurs on one side of the body and is followed by the development of a red rash.
  • The rashes have these characteristics:
  1. Itching
  2. Red patches
  3. Occur on the face and ears
  4. Fluid-filled blisters that can break easily
  5. It can wrap around to the torso from the spine
  • Other, less-likely symptoms of the condition are:
  1. Chills
  2. Fever
  3. Headache
  4. Muscle weakness
  5. Fatigue
  • Rarer, and more serious, complications of the condition include:
  1. Intense pain in one ear or loss of hearing in it. This happens when a rash reaches that ear, also causing dizziness and loss of balance.
  2. Rash that involves the eye or causes intense pain in the eye.
  3. Bacterial infections, that are indicated by your skin becoming warm, red, and swollen.

Diagnosis

  • A doctor can diagnose herpes zoster by simply taking a look at the rash and blisters and conducting a physical examination of them.
  • They will also require a medical history.
  • If the physical examination proves inconclusive, which is rare, a fluid sample from the rash may be required.
  • This is done by wiping the rash with a swab and sending the liquid to a laboratory to confirm whether the virus is present or not.
  • There is no treatment for the condition, but you need medication to avoid further complications.
  • Medication can also make the condition easier to deal with and can help it go away quickly.
  • The condition usually goes away after a week, and you need to go to your doctor again if it doesn’t go away after 10 days.