How to Identify the Signs of Shingles



Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. It can cause a painful rash and other symptoms. Knowing how to identify the signs of shingles can help you get treated quickly and reduce your risk of complications.

Signs and Symptoms
The most common symptom of shingles is a rash with blisters on one side of your body or face. The rash may be itchy or painful, and it typically follows a line along one side of your torso or face. Other common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light
• Burning, tingling, or itching sensations in the affected area before the rash appears

In some cases, shingles may also cause numbness, muscle weakness, joint pain, difficulty speaking or hearing loss if it affects certain parts of your face. If you experience any of these symptoms along with a rash on one side of your body, seek medical attention right away as this could be a sign that you have shingles.

When to Seek Medical Attention?
If you think you may have shingles, contact your doctor right away so they can diagnose and treat the infection as soon as possible. Prompt treatment can help reduce pain and prevent complications such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is long-term nerve pain that can last for months or even years after an outbreak has healed. You should also see your doctor if:

• The rash doesn’t go away after two weeks; • You develop vision problems; • Your skin around the rash becomes redder or more painful; • You experience fever higher than 101°F (38°C).

Shingles is highly contagious so if you think you may have it, take precautions to avoid spreading it to others by avoiding physical contact until after treatment has been completed and all blisters have dried up completely. Additionally, anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox before should avoid contact with someone who has shingles until all blisters are gone in order to avoid getting infected with chickenpox too.

Tags:

Shingles, Varicella-zoster virus, Chickenpox, Rash, Blisters, Itchy, Painful, Fever, Headache, Fatigue, Sensitivity to light, Burning sensations, Tingling sensations, Numbness, Muscle weakness, Joint pain, Difficulty speaking, Hearing loss, Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), Contagious,

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