Seriously Looking at Shingles

Seriously Looking At Shingles           

            Shingles is a disease that can be devastating not only to the person who is suffering, but to those around them; to see someone you love suffering, is very disturbing. Many people are clueless to this disease, until they get it, what it is though is a rash, that develops into many little painful blisters; which can take up to four weeks to heal. The fact is that most people, who get this rash, usually get it one side of the body, usually on the upper torso, and for some it is devastating because it develops on their face and scalp. In addition to the rash, you can develop several different symptoms ranging from fever, headaches, upset stomach or intestinal discomfort; along with body aches. While the disease may disappear after about four weeks it can for some take months to feel better.

            The pain from shingles can vary from burning or throbbing to extreme pain and discomfort, the pain varies depending on the degree of shingles and what nerve endings are being affected. Most people who get shingles had the child-pox as a child, or received the vaccination to chickenpox. The virus, which is the Herpes-Zoster virus, will stay in you body forever, usually dormant. It is when the immune system becomes weak, whether from age, or sickness, that the virus is “awakened”; and begins it’s attack.
Herpes Zoster

Image via Wikipedia

            The attack is slow, perhaps it will start with a little bit of itching and a tingle sensation in a particular area; then a few days later there is a burning feeling as small little blister develop and start to appear in that area. As we age the chances of getting shingle also increase, it is unheard of someone under fifty or fifty-five to get singles, and is found to strike people after the age of sixty. The long one lives, the chances of getting shingles increases, and it will take much longer to go away.
A youth with Chickenpox

Image via Wikipedia

            Long term effects of shingles are very rare, the most common is usually scars, from the blisters that develop then break, the biggest fear is that as these blisters break and dry up, they tend to lead to dry skin that may crack and bleed; which if this occurs it makes one more likely to develop a skin infection.
Shingles

Image via Wikipedia

While it is not know who will get shingle or when, it is something to keep in mind, as we grow older. While you cannot get shingles from someone with shingles, you can however get chickenpox from someone who has shingles. So if you never had the chickenpox, stay clear of anyone you know that has shingles. While chickenpox is very rare here in the United States, those who were not immunized against the disease, and never had it, need to be aware of the upcoming group of senior citizens who had the disease and will probably develop shingles.  

You have to remember it is a live virus that goes dormant a person usually only gets the chickenpox once and then later will get shingles, but there is no guarantee that it won’t reappear again.