Herpes zoster, one of the many forms of the herpes virus is more commonly called shingles. According to the CDC, there are an "estimated 1 million cases a year." It is a virus lounging in the roots of your nerves, where it may lie dormant for the span of a lifetime without ever affecting the host. If it awakens, however, it is an annoying, visible virus whose main signature is an itchy rash. You'll feel as if you spent a night in a mosquito nest. Shingles is not life threatening. There is no cure for shingles, but you can alleviate the worst part of this bug.
Who Gets Shingles?
Anyone who has had chicken pox may come down with shingles. Much in the same way a light bulb needs a light switch to shine brightly, shingles has many triggers. Aging and a weakening of the immune system is a big contributor to waking shingles, but you don't have to be old to suffer from the disease. While there is no real understanding of why shingles awakens and affects the body, excessive amounts of stress can bring it to the surface and add to a long stretch of discomfort.
Symptoms of Shingles
Shingles has many symptoms mistaken for other ailments, but one distinctive telltale sign. It may start with something as simple as a headache. Light sensitivity is another example of the onset of shingles. Feeling like you have the flu, without a fever, is another indicator of shingles. You may feel light-headed, weak or dizzy. The clincher for finding that shingles has indeed awakened is the pain, itchiness or rash turning up in an area of your body. These will look like little ridges, kind of like the look of mountain peaks off in the distance. They are little bumps, filled with fluid. These ridges could take up to a month to go away and will spend much of their time letting you know where they are with the sting or bite of the virus. You may also notice vision problems and find yourself reaching for thoughts that otherwise came as quickly as lightning. Maybe you're forgetting something that strikes you as odd to have forgotten, once you do recall it.
Treating Shingles
If you think you , it's imperative to call your doctor. The sooner you start treating it, the sooner you can put it back in its place, which is asleep in the nerve-roots. While there is no cure for shingles, anti-viral medications will help turn it away. Ordinary over the counter pain relief will help with the painful rash, and skin creams can help ease the insanity any persistent itch will inspire. You do not want to be out in public because you are now a danger to anyone who has never had chickenpox. People who have not had chickenpox can catch the disease from you. If you're over 60, ask your doctor about a vaccine that may stop shingles from awakening. At the very least, it may ease the severity of the virus should it strike you.
Shingles and You
Shingles, like the common cold, is just one of those things in life lying in wait to rise up and bite us when we least expect it. You have shingles if you've had chickenpox. We can help keep our inner army strong with proper diet, rest and exercise, all things that help reduce our stress. The choice is simple. The better we care for ourselves, the less likely those sleeping viruses will rise up and hit us, for however long they take to run their course. Shingles can take up to a month to dissipate, whereas you only need a few minutes to think about the things you need to do to take care of you.
Care for the Rash
The shingles rash will be painful, itchy, tiny blisters filled with fluid. Keep the area clean and wash your hands frequently, especially after scratching or opening any of the blisters.
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