Herpes Zoster also known as shingles affects many Americans over the age of 60 years old. Shingles is a painful skin rash that blisters over, causing overwhelming pain and irritation. If you have ever had the chicken pox there is still a decent percentage the disease is within you. The Herpes Zoster Virus lays dormant, and profound within the dorsal nerve root ganglia which is located just outside of the spinal cord. Often times the disease may become active due to stress, or even suppressed immune system which is commonly the primary factor in triggering the disease. There are only a handful of treatment options available currently that help cope with damaged nerves and extreme pain levels.(1)
Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster or just Zoster. If you've ever had the chickenpox, almost majority of adults …show more content…
can distinguish when the person has shingles just by looking at the rash, although, there are other ways to distinguish this diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the method of choice for a diagnosis of Varicella. VZV (Varicella Zoster Virus) may also be isolated in tissue culture, although it is less sensitive and requires several days to obtain an actual result. If the shingles rash appears around the eye or forehead, it can cause eye infections and temporary or permanent loss of vision. If the shingles virus attacks the ear, people may develop hearing or balance problems. In rare cases, the shingles virus may attack the brain or spinal cord. These complications can usually be prevented by beginning treatment for shingles as soon as possible. If you have shingles symptoms, see your health care provider even if you think you've never had chickenpox. Many childhood cases of chickenpox are mild enough to go unnoticed, but the virus can still linger and reactivate. To prevent complications, it's important to start treatment as soon as shingles appears.
Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster or just Zoster. If you've ever had the chickenpox, almost majority of adults …show more content…
can distinguish when the person has shingles just by looking at the rash, although, there are other ways to distinguish this diagnosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the method of choice for a diagnosis of Varicella. VZV (Varicella Zoster Virus) may also be isolated in tissue culture, although it is less sensitive and requires several days to obtain an actual result. If the shingles rash appears around the eye or forehead, it can cause eye infections and temporary or permanent loss of vision. If the shingles virus attacks the ear, people may develop hearing or balance problems. In rare cases, the shingles virus may attack the brain or spinal cord. These complications can usually be prevented by beginning treatment for shingles as soon as possible. If you have shingles symptoms, see your health care provider even if you think you've never had chickenpox. Many childhood cases of chickenpox are mild enough to go unnoticed, but the virus can still linger and reactivate. To prevent complications, it's important to start treatment as soon as shingles appears.