Shingles

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

Shingles is a disease. The virus that causes chickenpox also causes Shingles.

1 General information
2 Treatment
3 Prognosis
4 Other websites

[change] General information

Shingles occurs in people who have had chickenpox. The virus can wake up after many years.

Most people who get shingles are old. It sometimes infects younger people, or people with a weak immune system. stress may lead to shingles. The disease starts with tingling, itchiness, or pain on an infected person's skin. After a few days, the disease causes a rash. This rash may be on the trunk or face. The rash grows into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters dry out and crust over for several days. The worst time of the rash causes anything from mild itching to extreme pain. The rash is confined to one region of the body.

The shingles virus is communicable from person to person, though only by direct contact. If a person touches someone with shingles, they may get chickenpox, but not shingles. For this reason, persons with shingles are advised to limit contact with those who are not immune to chickenpox, those with increased susceptibility, young children and pregnant women. Contracting chickenpox when one is pregnant can be dangerous to the unborn child.

If people have had chickenpox, they cannot get chickenpox from someone else again. However, it is thought that contact with a shingles patient may trigger a person's own dormant chickenpox virus to reactivate and manifest as shingles.

[change] Treatment

Doctors recommend antiviral drugs, steroiods, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and topical agents to treat shingles. The antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famcyclovir can reduce the severity of shingles.

[change] Prognosis

Shingles can be very painful and itchy. It is not very dangerous to healthy people, and it usually ends without major problems. The rash and pain last 3 to 5 weeks. Sometimes, serious problems like temporary, partial facial paralysis, ear damage, or encephalitis may occur. Persons with shingles on the upper half of the face need immediate medical attention: the virus may cause serious damage to the eyes. Most people who have shingles have only one attack of the disease in their lifetime. However, people with AIDS, cancer or weak immune systems may have multiple attacks.