Who Should Avoid The Shingles Vaccine
Some people should not receive the shingles vaccine, including pregnant women and those with significantly suppressed immune systems.
Pregnant Women
The shingles vaccine should not be given to pregnant women. It is recommended that a woman wait three months before trying to become pregnant after she has received the shingles vaccine.
People With Weakened Immune Systems
People with weakened immune systems due to immune-suppressing medications, HIV disease, cancer treatment, or organ transplants should not receive the shingles vaccine because it contains live, weakened virus particles.
People Under Age 60
There is not enough information available to determine whether Zostavax may be generally beneficial in people younger than 60 years of age.
Treating Shingles On The Face
Treatment is the same no matter where shingles develop. Treatment will involve taking an antiviral drug to reduce the severity of the outbreak and help it disappear more quickly.
People will see the best results if they take antiviral medication within 72 hours of the rash appearing.
In most cases, a doctor will prescribe the drugs famciclovir and valacyclovir. People with weak immune systems may need to take a different drug, such as acyclovir, instead.
Most research suggests anti-shingles drugs are safe for people who are breast-feeding, but those who are pregnant or breast-feeding should discuss medications with their doctors.
People who develop PHN may also require pain medication. PHN medication may include oral drugs, such as opioids or creams that people can apply directly to the skin.
The First Symptoms Of Shingles
Early symptoms of shingles can appear several days before the more obvious symptoms. However, some people will not have early symptoms before a rash appears.
The most common early symptoms occur on one part of the body or face. This often happens in the abdominal area.
These symptoms many include:
The pain can worsen as shingles develops. The pain can be sharp, stabbing, and intense.
It may also cause hypersensitivity, or an excessive reaction to touch.
There are also other early symptoms of shingles.
Although not every person with shingles will experience them, early symptoms include:
- general feeling of being unwell
Your doctor can often diagnose shingles based on these symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe medication to speed up recovery.
Medication also reduces the chance of complications, so seeking early intervention is important.
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How Is Shingles In The Eye Diagnosed
Your ophthalmologist will be able to diagnose shingles in the eye just by looking at the rash on your eyelids and surrounding areas. They might take a sample of the blister fluid to examine for the varicella-zoster virus.
They will also examine your cornea, retina, lens and other parts of your eye, looking for swelling and damage that may have been caused as a result of the virus.
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Shingles Symptoms: The Rash
The rash associated with herpes zoster begins as small blisters in a reddish background. New blisters form for the next few days, usually 3 to 5 days. Blisters emerge in a path of individual nerves in a specific “ray-like” distribution called a dermatomal pattern. Blisters tend to break out in a band-like pattern over an area of skin.
What Shingles Symptoms Come Next
After about 1 to 5 days, a shingles rash will appear on one side of the body, often in a single characteristic band around one side of the torso or face.
The painful rash will then form itchy or burning blister-like sores filled with a clear fluid. The blisters will scab over in 7 to 10 days. Theyll gradually grow smaller before disappearing.
Shingles rash symptoms commonly last between 2 to 4 weeks.
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Mayo Clinic Minute: What Are Eye Shingles
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus the same virus that causes chickenpox. If youve had chickenpox, the virus can lie dormant in your bodys nerve tissue for years when suddenly its triggered by stress or a weakened immune system, and manifests as shingles. A new shingles vaccine called Shingrix is recommended for anyone over 50. It helps prevent the disease and reduces the severity of symptoms.
Ophthalmic shingles is one particular version of the disease that can have some serious side effects that ultimately can cause permanent damage to your vision.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Read the script.
Youre probably familiar with shingles, a viral infection that causes a painful rash usually on the bodys torso. But did you know that shingles also can affect the eye?
Shingles around the eye typically involves the skin of the forehead and the skin of the upper lid. It can also involve the side of the nose or the tip of the nose, says Dr. Keith Baratz, a Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist.
The virus lies dormant for years, but, when triggered by stress or a weakened immune system, it travels along nerve pathways to the skin and usually affects only one side of the face.
You can almost draw a line right down the middle of the forehead when you get the rash, says Dr. Baratz.
Is The Shingles Rash Dangerous
The shingles rash doesnt usually cause any long-term damage to your body. However, if your rash develops on your face or ears, it can cause long-term issues Ill explain the full risks in the section below.
No matter how minor your case of shingles you should still go see your doctor to get treatment for your shingles. Theyâll likely provide you with medication to ease your pain and help fight the virus.
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Skin Sensations On Forehead Or Scalp: Tingling Stinging Skin Crawling Or Itching
I thought I was dreaming or imagining it and went back to sleep. It woke me again, two or three times. It felt as if someone was touching my hair. It was waking me up and, since my husband was away on a business trip and I was alone in the house, it made me anxious, but I put it down to an over-active imagination. There was a crawling sensation on my head as if my hair was being blown by a breeze or moving about.
It didn’t make sense.
Weird? Yes, but having no idea what it was, I tried to ignore it and get back to sleep.
Symptoms Of Shingles In The Eye
When you have shingles in the eye, the blistering rash will form on your eyelids, forehead, and possibly on the tip or side of your nose. This rash might show up at the same time as the skin rash, or weeks after the skin blisters have gone away. Some people only have symptoms in their eye.
Along with the rash, you might have:
- burning or throbbing pain in your eye
- redness around and in the eye
You might also have swelling in parts of your eye, such as:
- your retina, which is the light-sensitive layer in the back of your eye
- your cornea, which is the clear layer in the front of your eye
If you have one or more of these symptoms, call your primary care doctor or an eye doctor for an appointment. The sooner you get treatment, the less likely it is that youll have long-term complications.
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Shingles Symptoms: Before The Rash
The pain of shingles may develop even when there is no rash. The patient may experience tingling, burning pain, or sensitive skin for several days to a week before the rash appears. It may be difficult to determine the cause of the severe pain in the absence of a skin rash.
Characteristics of Pre-Rash Shingles Pain
Other Symptoms That May Occur Before Shingles Rash
What Are Symptoms Of Shingles In The Eye
Shingle symptoms include a blistering rash on the eyelids, forehead and possibly the tip or side of the nose. It may accompany a skin rash or show up weeks after the blistering skin rash disappears. Some may only experience ocular shingles without a shingles rash on the skin. However, it usually occurs in one eye on the side of the face with the rash. It usually follows once the shingles body rash has gone.
Other symptoms of shingles include:
- Burning sensation in the eye
- Throbbing pain in the eye
- Redness in and around the eye
- Light sensitivity
- Swelling on your eyelid, retina or cornea
If you experience one or more of the symptoms above, you should call your eye care professional and book an optical appointment. The sooner you treat these symptoms, the less likely you are to have long-term complications.
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Chickenpox Is Caused By The Same Virus
The same virus, varicella zoster virus, causes both chickenpox and shingles.
Chickenpox typically causes an itchy rash that spreads over the entire body, as opposed to just one side of the body or face like shingles. More than 99 percent of Americans born on or before 1980 have had chickenpox, per the CDC. If you dont know if you had chickenpox, check with your family doctor, who can review your records.
Who Should Not Get The Vaccine
Do not get the shingles vaccine if:
- You have a severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, to any ingredient of a vaccine or to a previous dose of Shingrix
- You have shingles now.
-
You are sick with an illness and a fever of 101°F or higher.
- You should also consider delaying the vaccine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Not enough is known about its safety for expectant and lactating women.
- You have had a negative test for varicella this would be uncommon for adults eligible for the vaccine, as most adults worldwide ages 50 and older have been exposed to the virus. You do not have to be tested before getting the vaccine.
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How Can I Take Care Of Myself
- Take a pain-relief medicine such as acetaminophen. Take other medicine as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
- Put cool, moist washcloths on the rash.
- Rest in bed during the early stages if you have fever and other symptoms.
- Try not to let clothing or bed linens rub against the rash and irritate it.
- You develop worsening pain or fever.
- You develop a severe headache, stiff neck, hearing loss, or changes in your ability to think.
- The blisters show signs of bacterial infection, such as increasing pain or redness, or milky yellow drainage from the blister sites.
- The blisters are close to the eyes or you have pain in your eyes or trouble seeing.
- You have trouble walking.
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. It’s 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.
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What Problems Can Happen
Most cases of shingles heal on their own, with or without treatment, and won’t lead to any other problems. In rare cases, shingles can lead to complications, including:
- Ongoing pain : Damaged nerve fibers in the skin send confused messages to the brain, leading to pain. Pain can go on for a long time after the shingles rash is gone. This is the most common shingles complication.
- Vision problems: Shingles near or in an eye can lead to vision loss.
- Skin infections: A shingles rash can become infected with bacteria, leading to impetigo or cellulitis.
- Nervous system problems: Shingles on the face can involve different nerves that connect to the brain. This can lead to nerve-related problems such as facial paralysis, hearing problems, and problems with balance. In very rare cases, shingles can lead to encephalitis .
Am I Contagious If I Have Shingles
Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. But someone who has never had chickenpox can contract VZV from a person with active shingles. They would then develop chickenpox, not shingles.
Only direct contact with fluid from shingles blisters can transmit the virus. Keep shingles blisters covered with a fluid absorbent dressing to prevent others from contracting the virus.
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Complications Of Having Both Shingles And Hiv
HIV and other chronic conditions that weaken the immune system can cause shingles symptoms and complications to become more severe.
When a person has both HIV and shingles, they are more likely to experience the following complications of shingles:
- long-term pain, which can last for months or years
- longer-lasting shingles symptoms
- a higher risk of skin infections
- a higher risk of developing chronic shingles
- disseminated zoster, in which the rash covers a much larger part of the body
Shingles On Scalp Pictures
The similarities it may share with being paralyzed is nothing to be scoffed at. There are conditions where you lose movement and control over your body. If your face feels numb or like it is falling asleep in combination with other symptoms, it may be something else. This is something a little riskier to detect with the naked eye, but if it helps, you can refer still to pictures of shingles on the scalp online. Be sure to visit professionals immediately when a blister is seen.
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Shingles Vaccine Side Effects
The shingles vaccine has not been shown to cause any serious side effects or health consequences. Minor side effects of the vaccine include redness, swelling, soreness, or itching at the site of injection, and headache. It is safe for those who have received the shingles vaccine to be around babies or those with weakened immune systems. It has not been shown that a person can develop chickenpox from getting the shingles vaccine, although some people who receive the vaccine may develop a mild chickenpox-like rash near the injection site. This rash should be kept covered and will disappear on its own.
Early Symptoms Of Shingles
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What is shingles?
The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingles. Its called the varicella zoster virus .
VZV stays dormant in your body even after you recover from chickenpox. The chickenpox virus can reactivate years or even decades later, but its not understood why.
When this happens, a person will develop shingles. Recognizing the early symptoms is important because it can be a painful condition with severe complications.
state that almost 1 in 3 people in the US will develop shingles in their lifetime. But some people are more likely to develop shingles than others.
It is that half of all cases of shingles occur in people aged 60 years and older.
Other groups prone to developing shingles include:
- people who have had organ transplants
- people experiencing a lot of stress
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Severe Shingles Rash That Require Special Attention
Shingles on the FACE , shingles in the EYE, or shingles in the EAR do require IMMEDIATE medical attention.
According to doctors at Mayo Clinic, if the shingles rash reaches your eye, it can cause eye infections that could lead to temporary or even permanent loss of vision. If you have a shingles rash that is on your eye, eyelid or forehead , you should go see a doctor as soon as possible.
If the shingles rash is in or on your ear, you could develop hearing or balance problems, and in rare instances, the virus might attack your brain or spinal cord. For these reasons, if you have developed a shingles rash in or around your ear , you should seek immediate medical attention.