Shingles are a virus that can cause a painful rash. The virus is the same one that causes chickenpox. After you have chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in your body. It can reactivate later in life and cause shingles.
Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can get shingles. However, it is most common in people over the age of 50. The risk of getting shingles increases as you age. To know if you have shingles you should look for the following symptoms.
Symptoms of shingles
Shingles usually start with pain, tingling, or burning in one particular area. This is followed by a rash that appears a few days later. The rash consists of blotchy red spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters. The blisters eventually crust over and heal.
Shingles can be a very painful condition. The pain can last for weeks or even months after the rash goes away. In some cases, the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.
What is the treatment for shingles?
There is no cure for shingles, but there are treatments that can help ease the pain. If you have shingles, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medications. These can help shorten the duration of the virus and lessen the severity of the symptoms. if you want to take care of it at home. A few things you can do for reducing the pain are
What can you do to soothe shingles at home?
You can also take steps at home to ease your discomfort. Get plenty of rest and apply cool compresses to the affected area. You can also take over-the-counter pain relievers to help with the pain.
It is important to know that shingles is a virus that can be transfered from one person to another. you can prevent it from spreading by doing these
Prevention
If you have shingles, it is important to keep the rash covered. This will help prevent the virus from spreading to other people. If you have a weakened immune system, you should avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox or shingles. But for how long?
Prognosis
Shingles usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. However, the virus can stay in your body for much longer. In some people, the virus reactivates later in life and causes shingles again.
For dealing with this problem better, you need to understand the complications better.
Complications
If you have shingles, there is a chance that the virus will spread to other people. However, this is usually not a serious problem. In most cases, the virus does not cause any long-term problems. But in some rare cases, the virus can spread to the brain and cause serious problems such as meningitis or encephalitis. These conditions can be deadly.
Shingles can also cause a condition called postherpetic neuralgia. This is a condition that causes severe pain in the area where the rash was. The pain can last for weeks or even months after the rash goes away. In some cases, the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.
Postherpetic neuralgia can be treated with pain relievers, antidepressants, and nerve blocks. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to relieve the pain.
Shingles can be a very painful condition. But in most cases, it is not serious and will go away on its own. If you have shingles, it is important to see your doctor. He or she can prescribe medication to help ease the pain. And he or she can also help you prevent the virus from spreading to other people.
You can book an appointment with an online skin specialist or visit any hospital for Best Dermatologists in Lahore.
