Caused by the very same virus that sparks chicken pox, shingles is a viral infection that can cause intense pain alongside very red rashes. The virus, known as varicella zoster virus or VZV, remains dormant within the body, staying inactive in the nerve tissues that sit near the spinal cord and brain, even after recovering from chicken pox. And unfortunately and not very known reasons, it tends to reactivate either years or even decades after. It is also considered highly contagious, although hardly fatal.
One of the most common signs is the painful rash that can appear on any part of the body. But the general area that is usually affected is the torso, where the single strip of rashes tends to wrap around from either the right or left side.
Although shingles isn’t necessarily considered a life-threating condition, it can be extremely painful. There are some medications and even a vaccine that individuals can get to reduce the risk of getting this disease, as well as shorten the infection and reduce the chances of unwanted complications.
One of the most prevalent complications that occurs from shingles is postherpetic neuralgia, which causes acute pain despite the blisters having cleared up already. Although shingles normally affects just one part of the body, it’s also important to know what the early signs and symptoms are to best treat the problem.
Here are 10 warning symptoms of shingles to watch out for.
1. A Red Rash
Even before a rash comes out, many patients complain that they feel itching, tingling or pain in the area where the rash ends up appearing. These sensations can even happen days before the rash eventually shows on the skin. Most of the time, the rash is a single strip on the torso, either from the left or right side, but other patients have had rashes on their arms or one side of the face. When it occurs near the eyes, patients may even be in danger of vision loss. Moreover, some patients with weaker immune systems have had a more widespread type of rash which tends to look more like chickenpox than shingles.
