Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is the term given to a painful viral infection, which affects the nervous system and is caused by a virus named Varicella Zoster. This is the same virus that leads to chicken pox infection in children.  Shingles occurs in adults but is not a result of direct infection.

If you had chicken pox as a child or were inoculated against it, after you recover, the virus remains dormant and migrates to the nervous tissue of your skin.

The Varicella Zoster virus can remain hidden for many years without causing any problems at all until due to various situations it gets reactivated much later in life leading to shingles – a condition in which you develop various patterns of very painful rashes or blisters on your skin. Even after the rashes clear up the pain may remain or reoccur often.

Symptoms of Shingles

Typically you may experience any of the following symptoms:

• Red rashes on your skin that develop into blisters that become fluid filled.
• Rash tends to be localised – occurring in a particular area or zone e.g. one side of your trunk, face, buttocks etc. They can attack any external soft tissue e.g. shingles of the eye.
• The rash may disappear and blisters usually crust over and dry up within 2-4 weeks but the pain may remain for much longer – even for years.
• Starts with Itching skin, burning sensation, numb feelings on skin, sharp stabbing pain or tingling sensations.
• Feverishness, chills and/or headaches.

Shingles Triggers

Certain situations and occurrences have been found to trigger shingles attacks:

• Weakened immunity.
• Injuries or major sickness such as Cancer
• Suppressed immunity e.g. people who have had transplants and been given drugs to stop organ rejection.
• Ageing – much more common in people aged over 50.
• Increased stress – e.g. divorce, losing job, home repossession, death in the family.
• Any illness that depresses immunity e.g. flu, depression etc.

How Contagious is Shingles?

As the same virus causes both chickenpox and Shingles, If you never suffered from chickenpox as a child, it is quite possible for you to catch it if you come into contact with someone who has open skin sores from shingles infection.

You may also develop it if you have weakened immunity, are pregnant or a newborn baby.

Since chickenpox can be quite deadly to developing babies, it is crucial that pregnant women and newborn babies or very small children are shielded from contact with people suffering from a full-blown shingles attack.
To help relieve and soothe the symptoms of itching you can use Dr Itch

Another product that can help you build your immunity is ImmunityPlus

Top Amazon remedies and resources for treating shingles:

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