Can You Spread Shingles to Other Parts of Your Body

How Shingles Affects Your Body At present…and Later

Shingles, a.k.a. herpes zoster, is a lot more than a quick—albeit irritating—rash that strikes senior citizens. In fact, about 120,000 of the one.2 million folks who get shingles each year develop nervus pain that can last from a couple of months to years. And anyone at any age who's had the chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine is vulnerable. That noted, "risk for the infection is college starting at fifty, which is why the vaccine is recommended for all people starting at that age," says Sonja Rosen, Yard.D., master of geriatric medicine at Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills, CA. Here, what you demand to know most the now—and later—of shingles.

Get-go Signs: Burning, Tingling, or Numbness of the Skin

"Usually, a pocket-size expanse of skin may burn, tingle, itch or but feel very sensitive before whatsoever rash occurs," says Alina G. Bridges, D.O., an associate professor of dermatology at the Mayo Dispensary in Rochester, MN. This awareness can concluding roughly one to three days prior to skin lesions appearing—and the discomfort can exist intense. "It's often mistaken for appendicitis, a heart assail or astringent headache," says Dr. Bridges.

Week 1: Rash

While a shingles rash can develop anywhere on the face or body, it virtually often develops exactly where the initial sensation was. (The rash follows the line of nerves in that area.) In rare cases, the rash may mirror the chickenpox rash and go more widespread. No matter where the rash appears, if yous suspect shingles, meet a healthcare professional ASAP. "Antiviral medications to treat shingles are almost effective when started within 72 hours of the beginning appearance of the rash," says Dr. Bridges, who notes that meds can shorten the course of the affliction.

Week One: Hearing, Balance or Middle Issues

For those whose shingles rash is in or around the eyes, brow, nose or ear, risk of complications is loftier. For example, if shingles has caused your eye to be red or bloated, yous're at risk of a painful heart infection or vision loss. In addition, shingles infections within—or near—the ear can cause Ramsay Hunt syndrome, where facial nerve damage tin bring about hearing or residual issues and fifty-fifty paralysis on the afflicted side of the face. Other early symptoms to tune into include: Ear pain or ringing, difficulty shutting one middle, a loss of taste and dry oral fissure/dry eye.

Calendar week One: Stroke and Heart Attack Risk

While the risk of a mail service-shingles stroke is highest among those whose shingles outbreak impacted their eyes, overall, people with shingles have a 2.4-fold increased hazard of stroke and 1.7-fold increased gamble of heart attack during the first week after getting diagnosed, found a report featured in the journal PLOS Medicine. While one's run a risk gradually lessened later on that, it takes about 27 weeks to completely curl the run a risk back to baseline. It's thought that shingles-induced inflammation may lead to blood clots that could then, in turn, cause a stroke or center attack. Adding to the risk: A fasten in blood pressure due to hurting and stress associated with shingles.

Week Two: Flu-like Symptoms

Fever, fatigue, chills, an upset stomach: All of these tin can be concurring signs of shingles. "Flu-like symptoms tin can precede—or occur with—the rash," says Dr. Bridges. "Merely the rash can besides develop a few days after flu-similar symptoms. The timeline can vary." Another flu-like symptom associated with shingles: headache. This is peculiarly true for those with shingles on their face up or scalp. And "when shingles affects the eyeball, this tin cause blurry vision, heart redness, light sensitivity and hurting on the surface of the eye," says Nakul Shekhawat, Yard.D., an ophthalmologist and cornea specialist at the Wilmer Eye Constitute, Johns Hopkins Academy Schoolhouse of Medicine in Baltimore.

Week Two: Blisters

Shortly, the rash morphs into small groupings of super-sensitive, fluid-filled blisters. Often times, the symptoms of shingles are distinctive enough to make a diagnosis sans test. However, if your blisters mimic some other status like herpes simplex—or if you're exterior the mutual demographic, "your healthcare provider may swab a scrap of fluid from a blister and send it out for a polymerase chain reaction exam, or PCR," says Dr. Bridges. Of annotation: The fluid within of the blisters contains the virus that causes shingles—and chickenpox. That means, if a person who has never had chickenpox or received the vaccine comes in direct contact with a shingles blister, they could contract chickenpox.

Week Ii: Possible Infection

"Information technology is important to wash your hands, continue the shingles rash and blisters clean and try not to scratch. Scratching blisters can cause infection," says Dr. Bridges. Cellulitis (a bacterial infection of the deeper layers of the skin) and impetigo (an infection of the outer layers of the skin) are two secondary peel infections associated with shingles. Folks with a compromised immune organisation are far more likely to likewise develop these types of infections. If your shingles rash swells, become pus-filled or weeps, these are signs that you have, in fact, gotten a bacterial infection. "A topical antibiotic may exist prescribed to utilize to lesions to treat an infection," says Dr. Bridges, noting that a topical can also help prevent infection.

Week Three: More Blisters?

If your blisters persist for more than two weeks, this is a red flag that your immune system is not functioning as it should. You lot should visit your healthcare professional again. And remember, if your blisters appear on your confront at any time, quickly encounter a healthcare professional. Simply like the rash, when blisters develop near or in the eye or the ear, it can cause lasting damage, such equally hearing loss, blindness, facial paralysis and brain swelling, according to The National Constitute on Aging.

Calendar week Four: Healing Scabs

Most people with shingles do not develop a blister-related infection. Instead, scabs appear once the blisters dry out up and chaff over. That typically occurs vii to 10 days mail service-blistery outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's important to think that until scabs appear, your blisters incorporate the virus, which tin can cause others to catch the chickenpox. It's also important to continue to launder the area with a fragrance-free cleanser daily until the rash, blisters and scabs are completely clear. Within a month, your skin's appearance volition most likely return to normal, though some people are left with darker or lighter spots where the shingles rash occurred.

Month Two to Three: Lingering Crawling

The lasting itch 1 tin experience once the shingles rash clears is chosen postherpetic crawling and information technology most commonly develops on the face and on skin that's already suffered sensory loss. Translations: Your peel is probable already feeling numb there. And since individuals are more likely to scratch numb skin as well long and also vigorously, it's important to turn to your healthcare provider for advice. He or she will likely suggest topical local anesthetics to aid quell the urge to itch.

Month Iii to Multiple Years: Long-term Nerve Pain

Almost people'southward pain decreases within 2 to 3 months, but for some the pain lingers longer. That persistent pain, called postherpetic neuralgia, is the well-nigh common complication of shingles, impacting up to xviii% of folks with the infection. PHN develops when nerve fibers are damaged at the site of the shingles rash. The hurting may exist constant or intermittent, moderate, severe or even incapacitating—and it may last for months or even years. "It'southward experienced as called-for, itching, a stabbing pain or an altered awareness," says Dr. Rosen. While anyone tin suffer with post herpetic neuralgia, your risk increases with historic period and with a history of chronic illness, such as asthma or diabetes.

Twelvemonth 5: Chronic or Recurrent Middle Disease

When shingles (canker zoster) impacts the eyes it'south called herpes zoster ophthalmicus, or HZO. And according to a report in the journal Ophthalmology, 25% of patients experience chronic or recurrent eye disease within five years of HZO. "Although almost patients with HZO practise non experience recurrence, it is important for patients to remain vigilant for recurrences due to potential for long-term harm to their optics," says Dr. Shekhawat. Recurrent HZO tin cause severe dry centre, corneal nerve damage and inflammation and scarring on the inside of the center, "which tin can damage vision and cause elevation of intraocular pressure leading to glaucoma," says Dr. Shekhawat.

How Many People Are Diagnosed With Shingles Annually? Ophthalmology. 2018. "Herpes Zoster Eye Affliction: New Ways to Combat an Old Foe?" aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(18)31918-3/pdf
Shingles and Chickenpox: How They're Related: Centers for Affliction Control and Prevention. 2019. "Shingles: Signs & Symptoms." cdc.gov/shingles/near/symptoms.html
Complications of Shingles: National Plant of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 2015. "Shingles: Promise Through Inquiry." ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/hope-through-research/shingles-hope-through-research#3223_11
When Shingles Impact Your Ear: Mayo Clinic. 2019. "Ramsay Hunt syndrome." mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ramsay-hunt-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351783
More About Shingles Blisters: Merck Manual Consumer Version. 2020. "Shingles." merckmanuals.com/dwelling house/infections/herpesvirus-infections/shingles?query=Canker%20Zoster
Is Shingles Contagious? Centers for Disease Command and Prevention. 2019. "Shingles: Transmission." cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html
Information technology'south Important to Human activity Fast: National Establish on Aging. 2018. "Shingles." nia.nih.gov/health/shingles
Shingles' Lingering Effects on the Heart: PLOS Medicine. 2015. "Astute Cardiovascular Events afterward Herpes Zoster: A Cocky-Controlled Case Series Analysis in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Older Residents of the Usa." journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001919
Caring for Your Rash and Blisters: Kaiser Permanente. 2020. "Shingles: Care Instructions." good for you.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/wellness-encyclopedia/he.shingles-care-instructions.uh3267
What Will Your Skin Look Like After? Harvard Medical School. 2019. "Shingles (Herpes Zoster)" health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/shingles-herpes-zoster-a-to-z
Your Postherpetic Neuralgia Need-to-know: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019. "Shingles: Complications." cdc.gov/shingles/about/complications.html
Who's Most at Take chances for Extended Hurting? Neurology. 2016. "Quantification of risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia in herpes zoster patients: A cohort study." ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4932239/
What About the Crawling That Won't Quit? Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2011. "Neuropathic Itch." rsds.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Neuropathic-crawling.pdf
Long-term Impact on the Eyes: Ophthalmology. 2015. "Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus: Recurrence and Chronicity." aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(16)00342-0/fulltext

Encounter Our Writer

Holly Pevzner

Holly Pevzner specializes in creating health, nutrition, parenting and pregnancy content for a variety of publications, such as EatingWell, Family unit Circumvolve, Parents, and Real Uncomplicated. Before becoming a full-fourth dimension writer, Holly held senior staff positions at Prevention, Fettle, and Self magazines, covering medical wellness and psychology. She was likewise a contributing editor at Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. She resides with her family unit in Brooklyn, New York.

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