Tag Archives: SHingles

Shingles

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Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes painful rashes and nerve damage.  

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you have previously had chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in your body and can reactivate in your nerves later in life in the form of shingles.  

The most common symptom of shingles is a painful, raised, or blistered rash. It may appear near the waist or on one side of the face, neck, chest, belly, or back. It can also sometimes show up on other parts of the body. Other symptoms that can appear before or along with the rash include: 

  • Deep, burning, or shooting nerve pain 
  • Itching or tingling 
  • Areas of reddish or discolored skin 
  • Fever 
  • Chills 
  • Headache 
  • A general feeling of being unwell 
  • An upset stomach 

Some of the early symptoms of shingles, such as nerve pain and discoloration, can appear weeks before the rash. Other symptoms may show up in the days leading up to it. The rash turns into blisters about three to four days after it appears. Within about 10 days, the blisters dry out and turn into scabs. The scabs may take a few weeks to completely go away.  

The most common complication of shingles is nerve pain that doesn’t go away when the rash does. This can last for months or years and can be extremely painful. Other complications of shingles include: 

  • Bacterial infection 
  • Vision loss from an eye infection 
  • Facial paralysis or Ramsay Hunt syndrome 
  • Hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing issues 
  • Brain inflammation 
  • Vertigo 
  • Pneumonia 

A healthcare provider will diagnose shingles by learning about your symptoms and examining the rash. If the rash follows the areas of skin along a nerve and doesn’t cross the midline of your body, that is a clue that you have shingles. A healthcare provider may also send scrapings or a swab of fluid from the blisters to a lab for diagnosis. 

There is no cure for shingles. However, a healthcare provider may recommend managing symptoms with: 

  • Antivirals 
  • Over-the-counter pain relievers 
  • Corticosteroids 

If you have previously had chickenpox, you can reduce the risk of getting shingles by getting a shingles vaccine.  

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

The Shingles Vaccine: Everything You Need to Know

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Shingles is an infection that can cause painful rashes and blisters anywhere on the body. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox at any point in the past, the virus is still present in your body and can re-activate later in life as shingles.

Although shingles isn’t life-threatening, it can be very painful. Additionally, it can lead to postherpetic neuralgia, a complication that causes shingles pain to occur long after rashes and blisters are no longer present.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only protection available against shingles is vaccination. Two doses of the shingles vaccine, also known as Shingrix, are recommended for all adults over the age of 50, as well as adults over the age of 19 who have weakened immune systems due to disease or medical treatment. You should also get the vaccine if you’ve already had shingles, as it can prevent future occurrences of the condition.

The shingles vaccine is safe, with side-effects generally going away no more than three days after receiving a dose. Side-effects are also more common in young people. They typically include:

  • Soreness in the injected arm
  • Redness and swelling around the vaccination site
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Muscle pain
  • Fever
  • Stomach pain
  • Nausea

There is also a very small risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a serious nervous system disorder, associated with the shingles vaccine; this risk, however, is also associated with the shingles itself.

While most people should get the shingles vaccine at some point, it may not be right for everyone based on certain factors. You should not receive the vaccine while you currently have shingles, are pregnant, or if you have previously had a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine.

You can receive the shingles vaccine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center. To schedule an appointment, please call (718) 670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Will Having Shingles Effect My Pregnancy?

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Almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles. Shingles is the term used for a skin rash that is caused by the herpes-zoster (varicella) virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. In some cases it can reactivate and cause shingles. Anyone who has had chickenpox may develop shingles, including pregnant women and even children.

As a new or expecting mother there are a lot of concerns for staying as healthy as you can for you and your baby during pregnancy. Although you can’t give anybody shingles, you can pass the virus on as chickenpox. Whereas shingles is harmless in pregnancy, chickenpox can cause problems for an unborn baby. For this reason, stay away from other pregnant women while you have shingles.

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant:

  • First, get a blood test to find out if you’re immune to chickenpox. If you’re not immune, you can get a vaccine. It’s best to wait 1 month after the vaccine before getting pregnant.
  • If you’re already pregnant, don’t get the vaccine until after you give birth. In the meantime, avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox or shingles.
  • If you’re not immune to chickenpox and you come into contact with someone who has it, tell your doctor right away. Your doctor can treat you with medicine that has chickenpox antibodies.
  • Tell your doctor if you come in contact with a person who has shingles. Your doctor may want to treat you with an antiviral medication. Antiviral medication will shorten the length of time that the symptoms will be present.

There isn’t a cure for shingles but a physician will usually prescribe medications to make the symptoms less intense. If you have questions about shingles send them to

To learn more about prenatal treatments please call the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, 718-670-8994.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.