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Shingles
What is it?
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox, a common infection among children. When the chickenpox rash heals, the virus remains in the nervous system of the affected individual in a dormant, or inactive, state. If the individual's immune system is weakened, the virus can be reactivated and shingles can appear. You can learn more about this process by reading the "What causes it?" section.
Shingles appears as an itchy, painful, blistering rash that generally affects only limited areas of the skin, and is often on one side of the body. In most people, this rash typically disappears within 3 to 5 weeks. Shingles can lead to long-term, painful conditions after the rash and blisters have healed, such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN, nerve pain that persists after the rash is gone) and ophthalmic herpes zoster (shingles in the eye). About 20% of people with shingles develop PHN, and about 10% develop ophthalmic herpes zoster. To learn more about these complications, click on the links below.
Shingles is not a life-threatening infection unless the affected individual has a weakened immune system due to illness or use of certain medications. Individuals with HIV infection or AIDS, organ transplant receivers, and patients with cancer who are receiving chemotherapy are at the greatest risk of serious complications or even death. But for most people, shingles symptoms disappear in 3 to 5 weeks with no complications.
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What is it?
