Shingles: Symptoms and Treatment

Tinea in nature has much in common with children's chicken pox. Their pathogen is the same virus Varicella Zoster (Varicella zoster). It causes a painful rash on the face and upper body, itching, pain, purulent blisters - in general, the whole picture of the disease, which is called shingles. Symptoms of this disease were described back in ancient times. And its second name - herpes - this ailment took from the ancient Greek language. In the literal translation, the word "herpete" means "crawl." This is due to the spread of the rash: starting in one place, the pustules seem to crawl along the nerve endings. That is, the disease is spread by strips.

What causes shingles? The causes of this disease can be different. Most often - it's hypothermia, cold. But also the constant stress situation can become the reason, lichen can appear against a background of a serious chronic illness, owing to falling of immunity, as a background of chemotherapy and therapy by irradiation. The cause may be and banal aging of the body: most often shingles are observed in people over 60 years. It is also noted that the disease is more common in those people who have suffered as a child chickenpox. The virus of chickenpox remains in the body, but it becomes inactive, as if it "sleeps". But it is worth the immunity to weaken, as the virus wakes up and "goes to the warpath".

In the first week the disease is latent. That is, the whole week the person feels healthy and does not know that he has shingles. Symptoms manifest first light itching at the site of the first localization of the disease. Ordinary herpes affects the corners of the mouth, lips, but shingles can occur on the back and chest, on any part of the face, neck. Later, a slight itch gives way to an unpleasant burning sensation, small spots appear on the site of the first localization. It is not necessary to sound the alarm when one pimple appears on the face: the symptoms of herpes zoster are quite characteristic, and they are easily distinguished from other cosmetic troubles.

But if there are a few pimples, they are grouped in one place, the skin near the pimples turns red - it is worth pondering, and even better - to see a doctor. Herpes on the lips - the most mild and sparing form of this disease. It can be cured independently: for this you need to resort to ointments of the Gerpevir type. But if the rash has appeared in other areas of the face, and after 2-3 days the pimples are filled with a muddy liquid, it is most likely a shingles. Symptoms of the further course of the disease are unfavorable: after 5-6 days, the vesicles burst, the liquid flows out, a pale brown brown crust forms on the spot of the pimples, which lasts 2-3 weeks. In a light form under this crust a new, healthy skin is formed. But there are cases when the disease affects too large areas or goes deep, that is, it affects not the epidermis, but the deep layers of the skin. Then, after recovery, a disfiguring scar may remain on it. Especially dangerous is the disease, when it affects the eye area. If you neglect treatment, you can damage your eyesight. Also, shingles in the ear are dangerous: in severe cases, it can lead to damage to the auditory organ, unilateral paralysis of the face, encephalitis and meningitis.

It should be said that shingles are an infectious, and therefore contagious, disease. The virus causes chickenpox in people who have never been sick with it (which is dangerous in adulthood), and in those who have recovered - shingles. Symptoms of chicken pox are manifested by temperature and weakness. Especially high risk of infection in newborns, pregnant, weakened people, HIV-infected.

The sooner the shingles begin to heal, the easier it will be for the disease to occur, and soon a recovery will occur. It is important to remember that shingles alone are not a fatal disease, but the complications they provoked can be fatal.