Shingles
What is shingles?
Shingles is a medical condition characterized by reactivation of varicella zoster virus. Varicella zoster is the virus responsible for chicken pox – this disease frequently affects toddlers and presents with diffuse bodily rash with blisters. After contracting this disease, the virus regressed and remains dormant in nerve cells called the dorsal root ganglia.
These bundles or ganglia of cells house varicella zoster until a period of time when the body becomes stress or the immune system suppressed. This causes the virus to wake up or reactivate, and travel down nerve dermatomes where they produce painful blisters and rash. This usually occurs on one side of the body.
If it involves the face, it may lead to …show more content…
By the end of this article, you will have the answers to these essential questions:
• What causes shingles?
• How common is shingles?
• What are the symptoms and signs of shingles?
• How is shingles diagnosed?
• How is shingles treated?

What causes shingles?
Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus – the same virus responsible for chicken pox during youth. After the primary infection, the virus regresses into the dorsal root gangion that surround the spinal cord. Certain conditions provoke viral reactivation:
• Fever
• Sun exposure
• Stress
• Infection
• Immune suppression – HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, corticosteroid use
• Advanced age
• Pregnancy
Once the virus reactivates, it typically travels down on or more dermatomes – nerve tracts on either side of the body. This typically involves the chest or abdomen. It can also affect the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve – resulting in visual loss. These cases require urgent ophthalmology consultation and intravenous antiviral …show more content…
• Rash is red and painful and carries a blister-like appearance.
• Pain may proceed the symptoms of rash.
• The disease is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus – the same virus that is responsible for chicken pox.
• The virus reactivates in elderly patients, particularly during times of stress such as sunlight exposure, fever, infection, pregnancy, immunosuppression (eg, corticosteroid use), chemotherapy, and HIV/AIDS.
• The virus can be spread via respiratory droplets – but it is most frequently transmitted by direct contact with the blisters of the rash.
• Once the blisters have all crusted over, the virus is no longer contagious.
• Diagnosis is usually made based on symptoms and the appearance of the rash – sometimes your doctor will swab the rash and send for specific tests evaluating for varicella zoster and herpes simplex virus.
• Patients age 50 or above may benefit from immunization with Zostavax - shingles vaccine.
• Treatment typically consists of antiviral agents such as Zovirax (acyclovir) or Valtrex (valacylcovir) for 2