Shingles = herpes zoster

• a painful skin rash appears in a small area
• common: older adults & people with a weak immune system
• most: get better & won’t get it again
• some: get more than once

Symptoms

happens in stages:

1. headache, sensitive to light, flu-like symptoms
2. feel tingling/pain in an area on your body
3. a rash may occur days after in the pain area
4. rash turns into blisters

Other problems

• pain does not go away for mths/ yrs
• rash spreads over the body and affect organs
• muscle weakness in the infected skin
• shingles affects brain nerves may lead to:
• inflammation, pain, loss of feeling/ vision in 1/ both eyes
• ear pain & a rash around the ear, mouth, face, neck & scalp
• inflammation & blockage of blood vessels may lead to stroke
• bacterial infection of the blisters

Causes

• after you’ve had chickenpox, the virus “sleeps” in your nerve roots
• the virus “wakes up” or becomes active again when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system
• some medicines may trigger the virus

Risk Factors

• chickenpox: must have had chickenpox before
• age: 50+; 30%+
• medicine: steroids, organ transplant related medicines
• weakened immune system 
• stress, trauma, disease, diabetes, HIV infection, cancer & treatment

How to prevent Shingles?

• Vaccine
• For people who are 50+, 18+ with a weakened immune system
• avoid close contact with infants, pregnant women, people have never had chickenpox, are ill, or have a weak immune system
• cover fluid-filled blisters
• use a bandage that absorbs fluid & protects the sores

Shingles Vaccine: Risks and side effects

• redness, swelling, or soreness at the spot
• headache
• high fever/ serious allergic reaction (rare) might get shingles: less painful

Vaccine: Who shouldn’t get

• ill with more than a mild cold
• have had an allergic reaction to the first dose
• have a test that says you have never had chickenpox
• have shingles
• pregnant or breastfeeding

Your doctor can help by

• doctor can diagnose by eye
• may order tests on cells from a blister
• doctor may not wait for tests, will get you treated if he thinks that you have shingles

When to call a doctor

• rash/ blister on your face: near an eye/ on the tip of your nose
• think you have shingles: get treated soon may reduce pain & prevent other problems
• feel intense pain for more than 1 month: 
• get pain under control soon may prevent nerve damage
• that may cause pain that lasts for months or years

Treatment

• take medicines as prescribed
• call your doctor/ 811 if having a problem with your medicine
• do not scratch/ pick at the blisters
• keep the blisters moist until they heal over
• cover blisters: Vaseline & a non-stick bandage
• take pain medicine & follow instructions: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve

• avoid contact:
  • until the blisters have healed
  • anyone who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine
  • babies and anyone who is pregnant or with a weak immune system