HOME REMEDIES FOR SHINGLES SKIN

Shingles in or around an eye (ophthalmic shingles) can cause painful eye infections that may result in vision loss.

HOME REMEDIES FOR SHINGLES SKIN

It occurs when damaged nerve fibers send confused and exaggerated messages of pain from your skin to your brain. This condition is known as postherpetic neuralgia. For some people, shingles pain continues long after the blisters have cleared. Long-term use of steroids, such as prednisone, may also increase your risk of developing shingles.

Drugs that prevent rejection of transplanted organs can increase your risk of shingles. Radiation or chemotherapy can lower your resistance to diseases and may trigger shingles. Diseases that weaken your immune system, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, can increase your risk of shingles. And people over the age of 60 are more likely to experience more-severe complications. Shingles typically occurs in people older than 50. The risk of developing shingles increases with age. That was before the availability of the routine childhood vaccination that now protects against chickenpox.įactors that may increase your risk of developing shingles include: Most adults in the United States had chickenpox when they were children. Risk factorsĪnyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. That includes people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns. Avoid physical contact with anyone who hasn't yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. Until your shingles blisters scab over, you are contagious. Once infected, though, the person will develop chickenpox rather than shingles.Ĭhickenpox can be dangerous for some people. This usually occurs through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash. Are you contagious?Ī person with shingles can pass the varicella-zoster virus to anyone who isn't immune to chickenpox. But the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles isn't the same virus that causes cold sores or genital herpes, which is a sexually transmitted infection. As a result, shingles is also known as herpes zoster. This is the same group that includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses. Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weakened immune systems. It may be due to lowered immunity to infections as people get older. But not everyone who's had chickenpox will develop shingles. Sometimes the virus reactivates and travels along nerve pathways to your skin - producing shingles. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus enters your nervous system and stays inactive for years. Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox. The shingles rash is associated with an inflammation of nerves beneath the skin. This may be due to cancer, medications or chronic illness. You or someone in your family has a weakened immune system.Age increases your risk of complications. If left untreated, this infection may lead to permanent eye damage. When to see a doctorĬontact your health care provider as soon as possible if you suspect shingles, especially in the following situations:

Sometimes the shingles rash occurs around one eye or on one side of the neck or face. Most commonly, the shingles rash develops as a stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or right side of the torso. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes be mistaken for problems with the heart, lungs or kidneys. For some people, the pain can be intense. Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles.

Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over.

A red rash that begins a few days after the pain.

Shingles symptoms usually affect only a small section on one side of your body. Shingles is characterized by pain or a tingling sensation in a limited area on one side of the face or torso, followed by a red rash with small, fluid-filled blisters.

Home remedies for shingles