If You Notice This Kind of Rash on Your Skin, Seek Medical Care ASAP
Some viruses, like COVID and the flu, are talked about frequently enough that you likely know their symptoms and what to do if you experience them. Then there are the viruses that don’t get as much attention but are still important to know about. Shingles is definitely one of the latter.
Also known as herpes zoster (yet different from genital or oral herpes), shingles is a virus caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which means only people who have had chickenpox at some point in their lives can get it. Similar to chickenpox, its symptoms can include changes to your skin as well as other symptoms. It’s important to know what these symptoms are so you can seek treatment ASAP.
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How To Know if You Have Shingles
“Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash,” explains Dr. Roger Kapoor, MD, FAAD, a Harvard-trained dermatologist and the senior executive vice president of Beloit Health System in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Dr. Kapoor explains that shingles usually look like a stripe of blisters on the left or right side of the body, around the rib cage or waist. “It can also appear on one side of the face, around one eye or on the neck. The rash often looks like a ‘belt’ or ‘half belt,’ which is sometimes called a ‘shingles band’ or ‘shingles girdle,’” he says. He adds that the rash usually starts as red patches and develops into fluid-filled blisters.
“The rash typically scabs over in seven to 10 days and clears up within two to four weeks. It’s often painfully itchy and, to compound the person’s misery, the skin in the affected area may become extremely sensitive, making even light touch painful,” Dr. Kapoor says.
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While this type of rash is a strong indicator of shingles, Dr. David Canaday, MD, a professor in the Division of Infectious Disease at Case Western Reserve University, says that the first symptom is typically pain or itchiness, before the rash develops. Dr. Kapoor adds to this, saying that localized pain is often the first symptom of shingles. “This pain may be severe and is often described as burning, throbbing or stabbing,” he says, explaining that the rash tends to develop a few days after the pain starts. In addition to these symptoms, Dr. Kapoor says that some people may experience fever, chills, fatigue and headache.
In general, Dr. Canaday says that people who are older than 50 are at greatest risk for shingles. However, anyone who has a compromised immune system is also at increased risk for the virus.
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Why You Should Seek Treatment as Soon as Possible
If you are experiencing any symptoms of shingles, it’s important to see your healthcare provider as soon as you can. “If the blisters from the shingles rash are not properly cared for, they can become infected with bacteria, leading to skin infections,” Dr. Kapoor says.
There is no cure for shingles, but there are several treatments available that can help manage symptoms and speed up recovery. Both doctors explain that antiviral drugs (such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir) can help reduce shingles’ symptoms and shorten how long the symptoms last. Additionally, they say that over-the-counter pain relievers (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) can help minimize pain and topical treatments (such as calamine lotion, cool compresses, and oatmeal baths) can help with the itchiness. “In severe cases, prescription pain medications, numbing agents or corticosteroids may be necessary,” Dr. Kapoor says.
If shingles aren’t properly treated, Dr. Kapoor says it can potentially lead to severe complications, including painful eye infections, vision loss, brain inflammation, facial paralysis, hearing problems or problems with balance. Dr. Canaday says that another potential complication is lingering nerve pain, which can last months or even years.
Both doctors say that the best way to avoid getting shingles is to get the shingles vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, getting the shingles vaccine is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles in adults 50 and older with healthy immune systems. Dr. Canaday says that since healthy adults in their 20s, 30s or 40s, rarely get shingles, the vaccine is recommended for adults 50 and older. However, if you have a compromised immune system due to an underlying health condition and are worried about getting shingles, you can ask your healthcare provider about getting the vaccine.
What’s most important when it comes to shingles is to know the symptoms and seek treatment as soon as possible if you start experiencing them. If you do get it, hopefully, you’ll bounce back quickly and it will become a distant memory—like that childhood bout of chickenpox.
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Sources
Dr. Roger Kapoor, MD, FAAD, Harvard-trained dermatologist and the senior executive vice president of Beloit Health System in Beloit, Wisconsin and author of Working Happy!
Dr. David Canaday, MD, professor in the Division of Infectious Disease at Case Western Reserve University
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