What Are Shingles - Shingles Information
A virus that it brought about by an attack of the varicella zoster virus, Shingles, which is also called Herpes Zoster because of the virus that causes it, is a virus that causes an onset of blisters like a rash in a small specific body area. This rash and blisters can be extremely irritating, causing feelings of stabbing, sharp pains, itchiness and more. The varicella zoster virus that causes shingles is the same virus that brings about an onset of the chickenpox. This is because the varicella zoster virus actaully remains within the body even after a person has had the chickenpox, and shingles is brought about when this virus decides to strike again against a now weakened immune system in older age. Three quarters of all people will not get the shingles, and for those who do they will usually only get it once, with only the odd case getting it multiple times.
You may be wondering whether shingles is contagious. Well, the general rule is that it is not contagious. This holds true in the sense that it cannot be passed onto someone who has already had the chickenpox. The varicella zoster virus is already present in the body and will attack on its own accord, and thus it cannot be “caught” from another person. If however, a person who as of yet has not been struck with an onset of the chickenpox comes into contact with someone who is in full flight in their shingles virus than it actually can be contagious. This is the reason why shingles is much more contagious to children than it is to those in their older ages.
If you are in doubt in regards to what the symptoms of the shingles are, then listen up, especially if you are feeling woozy or itchy in small areas of skin. Some symptoms of the shingles are headaches, like what you feel when you have a fever, and also a pain or itchiness on an area of skin, in which a rash will develop. Blisters will actaully start popping up around this area for a few weeks, before they all start to crust. Shingles is no longer contagious when no new blisters form and all of the old blisters become crusty.
Treatment for the pain and irritation is available, especially in the form of creams. However, currently there are no cures.