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Age And Weak Immune System Increase Your Risk Of Getting Shingles
Although anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles, your risk of developing shingles increases with age. Most people get shingles in their 50s or later in life.
Its rare to get shingles before 40 years of age. Scientists are still studying why this happens. Its likely that your immune system keeps the virus dormant. When the immune system starts to weaken, which may start in your 50s, the virus can wake up.
Age increases your risk of getting shingles
Many people who had chickenpox dont remember having it and are unaware that they can get shingles.
Anyone who has a weakened immune system also has an increased risk of getting shingles. This includes people who have:
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Some cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma
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Human immunodeficiency virus
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To take medication that suppresses the immune system, such as people living with an organ transplant, severe psoriasis, or advanced psoriatic arthritis
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To receive certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy
How Long Does It Take To Get Rid Of A Heat Rash
Once you start cooling your body down, a mild heat rash could go away within a day. On average, heat rashes last two to three days. More severe heat rashes can last up to a couple of weeks without treatment.
If you have a severe heat rash that isnt going away with at-home treatment and staying cool and dry, contact your healthcare provider.
What shouldnt I use to treat a heat rash?
Avoid using baby powders, ointments, scented lotions or lotions with petroleum or mineral oils and that could clog your pores and make your heat rash worse.
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When To Call A Professional
If you suspect shingles, you should call a healthcare professional promptly. Getting started on antiviral medications soon can help reduce your chances of shingles complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia nerve pain that lingers long after the rash clears up.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 10 to 18 percent of people with shingles go on to experience PHN.
If shingles causes an outbreak near your eye, you should get treatment right away. If the infection reaches your eyeball, it can cause scarring and possibly vision loss.
Other rare complications include:
- hearing problems
Even if youre not sure your rash or blisters are shingles, get checked out. If its a fungal infection, for example, you may get a diagnosis and prescription for medication to treat it.
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How Did I Get It? Can I Give It to Someone Else? Only people who’ve had chickenpox can get shingles. On the other hand, being around someone with shingles is a risk only for people who’ve never been exposed to chickenpox if they contract the varicella-zoster virus, they’ll develop chickenpox, not shingles. This poses a particular concern for pregnant women chickenpox early in pregnancy raises the risk of birth defects, while a late-term infection increases the risk of delivering a severely ill infant.
Though shingles is seen most often in older people, it can occur at any age, and 10 to 20 percent of people will develop shingles during their lifetime. Up to 50 percent of people age 80 or older can expect to have at least one episode of shingles.
What Causes Shingles Pain? Pain is the greatest problem with shingles. Postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN, is the term used to describe the pain after the rash has faded. PHN may develop days, weeks or even months after the rash heals. People with PHN suffer from three types of pain:
- constant aching or burning
- lancinating pain
This pain can be accompanied by loss of sensation in the affected area. Most patients report an increase in pain after exposure to cold, but not to heat. Some report numbness or tingling.
Treatment The key to the treatment of shingles is to make the diagnosis early. This is difficult because the severe pain may come before the rash by a few days.
When the Pain Persists
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How To Prevent Shingles: Get Vaccinated
Two vaccines may help prevent the shingles virus: the chickenpox vaccine and the shingles vaccine. The shingles vaccine is approved for adults ages 50 and older and for those 18 and older with weakened immune systems or at increased risk of herpes zoster because of a disease or treatment, according to the CDC.
Per the CDC, talk to your doctor about getting a shingles vaccination if you are 50 or older or if you have the following risk factors:
- You have cancer, especially leukemia or lymphoma.
- You are a bone marrow or solid organ transplant recipient.
- You take immunosuppressive medications, including steroids, chemotherapy, or transplant-related medications.
How Can I Take Care Of Myself
Be sure to follow the instructions your healthcare provider gives you. Take any prescribed medicine as directed.
- You have signs that the infection is getting worse. These include:
- The skin is becoming redder or more painful.
- You have red streaks from the affected area going toward your heart.
- The wound area feels very warm when your touch it.
- You have pus or other fluid coming from the wound area.
- You have a fever higher than 101.5° F .
- You start to have chills, nausea, vomiting, headache, or muscle aches.
Read Also: What Does Shingles Look Like On A Person
Eczema Can Cause Red Itchy Skin With Bumps
Like shingles, a skin allergy can also cause red, bumpy, itchy skin, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology . These reactions include eczema, hives, and contact dermatitis. Eczema can cause dry, red, itchy, irritated skin, per the ACAAI. Small, oozing, fluid-filled bumps may also appear, especially when the skin is infected. Eczema is most common on the face, inside the elbows and behind the knees, and on the hands and feet, per MedlinePlus. There is no cure for eczema, but treatments can help manage the condition.
Identifying And Treating Shingles On Your Leg And Groin
If you have a collection of blisters or rashes on your skin, its a sign of shingles. While shingles often appear as a band on your torso , you can face an outbreak anywhere on the body, and your groin and leg are no exception.
In fact, a case report from 2011 found that the face and trunk are two of the most common areas that face shingles outbreaks. While people do face penile shingles, cases are rare. It is worth noting that shingles are often itchy and painful, regardless of where they form on your body.
That is why it is crucial to seek professional medical assistance and contact expert skincare physician Dr. Elizabeth Pensler before it becomes a serious problem. Usually, medical professionals treat shingles with antiviral drugs to clear them up within weeks.
As a shingles outbreak has a typically distinctive appearance, you can differentiate it from rashes that stem from allergy. Lets delve into details and learn more about identifying and treating shingles on your leg and groin.
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What Is A Heat Rash
A heat rash is an area of your skin that becomes irritated because of sweat trapped in the pores and pathways underneath your skin. Since sweat cant leave your body, a rash forms with tiny pimples or blisters. Heat rashes are common in hot and humid climates. The rash most often develops areas of your body that dont get enough airflow or areas where theres skin-to-skin contact.
What are other names for a heat rash?
Heat rashes are also called:
- Prickly heat rash.
When Should You Call Your Doctor
if you:
- Have a rash or blisters on your face, especially near an eye or on the tip of your nose. This can be a warning of eye problems. Treatment can help prevent permanent eye damage.
- Think you have shingles. Early treatment with antiviral medicines may help reduce pain and prevent complications of shingles, such as disseminated zoster or post-herpetic neuralgia.
If you still feel intense pain for more than 1 month after the skin heals, see your doctor to find out if you have post-herpetic neuralgia . Getting your pain under control right away may prevent nerve damage that may cause pain that lasts for months or years.
Read Also: Do You Always Get A Rash With Shingles
Treatment If The Condition Gets Worse
In some cases, shingles causes long-term complications. Treatment depends on the specific complication.
- Post-herpetic neuralgia is persistent pain that lasts months or even years after the shingles rash heals. Certain medicines, such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and opioids, can relieve pain. Most cases of PHN resolve within a year.
- Disseminated zoster is a blistery rash over a large portion of the body. It may affect the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, joints, and intestinal tract. Treatment may include both antiviral medicines to prevent the virus from multiplying and antibiotics to stop infection.
- Herpes zoster ophthalmicus is a rash on the forehead, cheek, nose, and around one eye, which could threaten your sight. You should seek prompt treatment from an ophthalmologist for this condition. Treatment may include rest, cool compresses, and antiviral medicines.
- If the shingles virus affects the nerves originating in the brain , serious complications involving the face, eyes, nose, and brain can occur. Treatment depends on the nature and location of the complication.
On What Parts Of Your Body Are Shingles Found
Shingles is a viral illness that affects a variety of locations throughout the body. It most often causes a painful skin rash on the trunk, abdomen or torso. Less commonly, the rash can be found on the arms or legs. Shingles may also affect the head, face, eyes, mouth or ear. The varicella-zoster virus causes both shingles and chicken pox 2. After recovery from chicken pox, the virus remains inactive in the nervous system, reactivating later in life in one or more parts of the body as shingles.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Shingles
Often the first shingles symptoms happen in the area where the rash will appear. A person may have tingling, itching, or pain in this area. When the rash shows up, the pain may be mild or severe.
The rash starts as groups of tiny pimples on one side of the body or the face. Its often in the shape of a band or belt. The pimples change to pus-filled blisters that break open and scab over in about 710 days. The scabs usually heal and fall off about 24 weeks after the rash starts.
Some kids with shingles also may have a fever and a headache, and might feel tired and achy. Rarely, a child has the pain of shingles without the rash. More severe symptoms can happen, but usually in people over age 50.
Groin Pain Could Be Caused By Hip Problem
Q Six months ago I was diagnosed with shingles and I started getting muscle pain in the groin of my leg. I now have pain in both legs when I walk or even when lying down. I also have muscle spasms in the groin during certain activities. The doctors don’t think it is related to shingles, and my spine is OK. ? P.E., by e-mail.
Other causes of groin pain can be associated with a pulled or strained muscle. These are more common in individuals who are active and engage in sports. The treatment of sports injuries to the groin includes rest, ice, compression and elevation . RICE commonly is used for treatment of sports injuries that results in muscle strains. You rest and avoid the activities for a couple of weeks until the injury improves. Ice is used to help reduce the swelling. Stretching exercises are recommended after the swelling and inflammation are gone.
Pain in the groin may be referred pain, and your physician should carefully assess the cause of the pain. For example, groin pain that occurs with back pain may be indicative of a kidney stone. Groin pain may be associated with a hernia. In women, fibroid and cysts in the ovaries may also be associated with groin pain. If you have not seen your gynecologist, you might want to schedule a visit. Men with groin pain may have prostatitis or scrotal infections.
Send your health questions to Debbie Jackson, PhD, MN Clemson University, 302 Sikes Hall, Clemson, SC 29634-5155 or email dbj@clemson.edu.
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Hives Can Cause Itchy Red Bumps
Hives are red or skin-colored bumps that can cause mild to severe itching, according to the ACAAI. They typically appear suddenly and disappear quickly. Pressing the middle of a red bump will make it turn white, which is known as blanching. Hives can be caused by a number of triggers, including allergies, cold or hot weather, and infections.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Heat Rash
Heat rashes form minutes to hours after you start sweating. The heat rash is an area of your skin with clusters of small, pimple-like bumps. Symptoms of a heat rash include:
- Prickly feeling.
- Swelling or skin puffs up around rash.
- Mild pain or a light burning sensation.
Severe symptoms could occur from a heat rash, especially if you itch it and the bumps break open. Reach out to your healthcare provider if you experience the following severe symptoms:
- Rash is warm to the touch.
- Pus or clear fluid leaks from bumps.
- Severe and persistent itch.
- Fever or nausea.
Are heat rashes itchy?
Yes, heat rashes are usually itchy. Most heat rashes have a mild itch or irritation. More rare cases have severe itching that gets worse the more you itch it. Since the skin where you have a heat rash is sensitive, the bumps on your skin can break open easily when you scratch. This could lead to an infection. If calamine lotion or a prescribed cream doesnt alleviate your itch, contact your healthcare provider.
Do heat rashes spread?
Yes, heat rashes can spread on your body. Clogged sweat pathways cause heat rashes to spread. A heat rash isnt bacteria or a virus that can spread to other people, though heat rashes arent contagious. Rashes usually spread in areas where clothing is tight against your skin, especially when you sweat.
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The Shingles Rash Usually Occurs On One Side Of The Body Or Face Most Commonly On The Trunk
Its easy to mistake a shingles rash for another health condition that affects the skin. The shingles virus typically causes a painful rash and blisters, which can resemble many other skin conditions psoriasis, eczema, and hives among them. However, there are a few signs that your rash is more likely to be shingles than something else.
To get shingles, you must have had chickenpox. Shingles, or herpes zoster, occurs when the chickenpox virus reactivates after lying dormant in the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 out of 3 people in the United States will get shingles in their lifetime. While your risk of getting shingles increases as you age, anyone can get it if they had chickenpox, notes the CDC.
About half of all shingles cases occur in adults age 60 or older, and the risk of getting shingles becomes much greater by age 70, according to the National Institute on Aging.
What Does A Heat Rash Look Like
A heat rash looks like:
- A group of small red bumps , similar to tiny pimples or blisters.
- The skin beneath the bumps is flesh-colored or red to purple.
Where do heat rashes form on my body?
Heat rashes can develop anywhere on your body, but most often appear in creases or folds where skin touches skin. The most common sites of heat rashes include:
- Under your breasts.
Heat rashes also form in areas where your clothing rests on your skin for a long period, like the waistband of your pants. Heat rashes rarely form on your face.
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Who Is Most At Risk Of Getting Shingles
Although any person who has had chickenpox can get shingles, most people who do so are older than 50 or have a weakened immune system. For example, a person might be susceptible if they have cancer, take medicines that weaken their immune system, or have HIV or AIDS, even if they are younger than 50.
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How Is A Heat Rash Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will diagnose your heat rash after examining the rash on your skin and asking you questions about your symptoms, especially how long youve had symptoms and if any events might trigger the rash, like strenuous physical activity or living in a humid environment.
There arent any tests to diagnose a heat rash.
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