Similar to chickenpox, herpes zoster (shingles) is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). If a person gets chickenpox, usually as a child, the VZV remains dormant in the body even after symptoms fade. Later in life, the virus can become active again, causing shingles.
For this reason, shingles is a condition most common in older people, although the disease can manifest in children in some cases. Proper shingles treatment and care are essential.
What Are the Symptoms of Shingles?
Like chickenpox, herpes zoster is a disease that affects the nervous system, causing fluid-filled blisters and a painful rash on the skin, typically on one side of the body. People with shingles may feel a burning, tingling, or itching sensation, sometimes accompanied by shooting pains.
These symptoms may start up to 5 days before the formation of a rash or blistering. The blisters usually take anywhere from 7-10 days to scab, and from 2-4 weeks to clear up completely. While a blistering rash is the leading indicator of shingles, other symptoms often include chills, headache, fever, and an upset stomach.
What Causes Shingles in Older Adults?
Anyone who contracted the varicella-zoster virus at some point in time is at risk of contracting shingles. Usually, VZV will produce chickenpox in younger children, while becoming active later in life as shingles.
Age and a compromised immune system can make one more susceptible to shingles. For this reason, it is vital for older adults, typically 60 years or older, to consider receiving the Shingrix vaccine to prevent a shingles outbreak. Consult a doctor to see if the Shingrix vaccine is right for you.
How is Shingles Treated?
There is no cure for shingles, but there are antiviral medications that can significantly reduce symptoms. These antivirals are most effective at shortening the duration and severity of the disease when taken soon after the onset of symptoms. Some shingles patients also receive a round of oral steroids to boost the healing process.
This nerve disease responds well to treatment, and home care. However, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms begin.
How do You Care for Someone with Shingles?
To care for someone with a shingles outbreak, start by getting an official diagnosis and treatment plan from a medical professional. In addition to following a professional treatment plan, follow your doctor’s recommendations for home care, as well. Some common home treatments include:
- Over the counter pain medications
- Cool, damp compresses to soothe the skin.
- Skin-soothing products like calamine lotion
- Corn starch or baking soda to dry out sores
- Colloidal oatmeal baths consisting of lukewarm water and ground-up oatmeal
Keep in mind that this virus can travel from person to person via contact with blister fluids. If you are caring for someone with shingles, wash your hands frequently and make sure to cover the rash with a new, sterile, non-stick bandage every day after cleaning the affected area. Bandaging can help reduce damage to the skin caused by scratching and the breaking open of the blisters. Taking these precautions will deter the spread of the virus to others and across the affected person’s body, as well.
Health Complications Due to Shingles Infection
One potential complication of shingles involves long-term nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN can occur long after the blistering rash disappears, causing, in some cases, debilitating pain. PHN is most common in older adults, around 70 years of age, but rarely seen in people under 40.
Depending on where this nerve disease occurs, and in extreme cases, other complications from a shingles outbreak can include:
- Eye issues, including blindness
- Pneumonia
- Hearing problems
- Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
- Brief paralysis of the face
- Death
Caregivers should also keep an eye out for potential skin infections. To avoid this, make sure the skin is clean and covered each day, and look for signs that sores are steadily drying out, scabbing over, and flaking off. Symptoms of infection would include oozing, red rings, and streaks around blisters, fever, and swelling.
Shingles can be a painful condition, one that can keep you from doing things that are important. The right treatment and care plan may make recovery easier and get you back to your normal routine with little interruption.