Tuesday, March 26, 2024

What Dies Shingles Look Like

Types Of Asphalt Shingles

Shingles: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment with Dr. Mark Shalauta | San Diego Health

The options may seem overwhelming, but asphalt shingles are a great choice for almost any home. Asphalt shingles are durable, affordable and come in incredible variety of colors and styles to match almost any exterior. So how do you choose?

There are three primary types of asphalt shingles used for the roof on a house: 3-tab shingles, dimensional shingles, and luxury shingles.

  • 3-tab shingles also referred to as three-tab shingles.
  • Dimensional shingles sometimes called architectural or laminate shingles.
  • Luxury shingles occasionally called premium shingles.
  • While all three kinds of asphalt shingles are made of similar materials, they are not exactly the same. Heres a breakdown to help you decide which asphalt roofing shingles will meet your needs for years to come.

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    Signs And Symptoms Of Shingles

    Shingles may cause mild to severe pain, and the viral rash most commonly appears on the trunk, notes the CDC. Unlike chickenpox, the shingles rash usually occurs on one side of the body or face.

    The first symptom of shingles is usually pain, itching, or tingling in the area where the shingles rash will later appear. This may happen several days before the rash erupts, leading to fluid-filled blisters like those of chicken pox. The blisters typically scab over in 7 to 10 days and clear up within two to four weeks, according to the CDC.

    Other signs and symptoms of shingles may include:

    What Should I Expect Will Happen To Me If I Get Shingles

    Shingles can be a very painful condition. If you think you have the symptoms of shingles, see your healthcare provider right away. Starting antiviral medications early can ease your discomfort and reduce the duration of your symptoms.

    A better approach to shingles is to take action and do what you can to lessen your risk of getting it. If you never had shingles or had a bout of them in the past, talk to your healthcare provider about getting the shingles vaccine. If youve never had chickenpox, talk with your healthcare provider about getting the chickenpox vaccine.

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    Key Points About Shingles

    • Shingles is a common viral infection of the nerves. It causes a painful rash or small blisters on an area of skin.
    • Shingles is caused when the chickenpox virus is reactivated.
    • It is more common in people with weakened immune systems, and in people over the age of 50.
    • Shingles starts with skin sensitivity, tingling, itching, and/or pain followed by rash that looks like small, red spots that turn into blisters.
    • The rash is typically affects just one area on one side of the body or face.
    • Treatment that is started as soon as possible helps reduce the severity of the disease.

    What Is The Outlook/prognosis For Cellulitis What Are Complications Of Cellulitis

    The Inside Analysis!: What does shingles look like?

    Cellulitis is a treatable condition, but antibiotic treatment is necessary to eradicate the infection and avoid complications and spread of the infection. Most cellulitis can be effectively treated with oral antibiotics at home. Sometimes hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics are required if oral antibiotics are not effective. is a serious complication of cellulitis. If not properly treated, cellulitis can occasionally spread to the bloodstream and cause a serious bacterial infection of the bloodstream that spreads throughout the body .

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    How Long Is Shingles Contagious

    Similar to chickenpox, shingles is a contagious illness. But, before we address how long you may be contagious, we need to talk about how shingles spreads which might actually surprise you.

    Shingles is indeed contagious, but it can only be spread to people who havent yet had chickenpox, or the chickenpox vaccine. In these cases, the shingles virus typically spreads via direct contact with the opened blisters of your rash. After being infected, a person doesnt develop shingles, though he or she develops chickenpox, explains Dr. Brown.

    Since you cant really know who is and who isnt susceptible to chickenpox, its important to take safety measures if you have shingles.

    When you have shingles, youre considered contagious until your open sores crust and scab over. This generally takes between 7 to 10 days, says Dr. Brown. Depending on where your rash develops on your body and where you work, you may be able to return to work before your shingles dry up.

    Before your rash dries up, Dr. Brown recommends the following to prevent spreading shingles to others:

    • Make sure your rash is covered with gauze
    • Limit interaction with other people if your shingles rash is on your face
    • Consult with your doctor about returning to work if you work in a medical setting or nursing home, as well as if you interact with people frequently while at work

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    What Types Of Health Care Professionals Treat Cellulitis

    Primary care specialists, including internists and family medicine specialists, treat cellulitis. For patients who seek medical treatment at an urgent care center or emergency department, emergency medicine specialists may be the treating physicians. Sometimes infectious disease specialists or surgeons may be involved in the medical treatment of cellulitis.

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    Check If You Have Shingles

    The first signs of shingles can be:

    • a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin
    • a headache or feeling generally unwell

    A rash will appear a few days later.

    Usually you get the shingles rash on your chest and tummy, but it can appear anywhere on your body including on your face, eyes and genitals.

    The rash appears as blotches on your skin, on 1 side of your body only. A rash on both the left and right of your body is unlikely to be shingles.

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    Shingles All Over The Body

    How Do You Get Shingles? What Does Shingles Look Like?

    Around 20% of persons who develop shingles have a rash that spreads across more than one dermatome, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The dermatomes are separate skin regions supplied by distinct spinal nerves.

    Shingles is most often induced by varicella zoster virus . The rashes caused by shingles appear on the dermatomes, or nerve roots that control different areas of the body. When zoster affects three or more dermatomes, it is known as disseminated, or widespread zoster. In these situations, the rash might resemble chickenpox rather than shingles. This is more probable if your immune system is weak.

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    Shingles Vs Poison Ivy: How To Tell The Difference

    Roughly 1 in 3 people in the United States will have shingles in their lifetime, making it one of the most common viral illnesses in older adults.

    Poison ivy rash is one of the most common dermatological conditions in the United States, affecting up to 50 million people each year.

    While shingles and poison ivy can both cause a blistering rash, there are significant differences in symptoms between the two conditions.

    In this article, well explore how to tell the difference between shingles and poison ivy, including the symptoms, treatment, and prevention for each condition.

    Although shingles and poison ivy may appear similar at first glance, there are definitive differences between the symptoms of shingles and the symptoms of poison ivy rash.

    A viral shingles infection generally presents with a specific type of blistery rash thats accompanied by other symptoms of malaise, such as pain, fever, chills, and headaches.

    An allergic poison ivy rash may look similar, but is usually more localized and doesnt cause symptoms of feeling unwell.

    The chart below outlines the primary differences between a shingles infection and a poison ivy rash.

    Shingles

    What Does Shingles Look Like

    Shingles looks as painful as it sounds. Red patches of skin covered in bumps eventually erupt into fluid-filled blisters that ooze before eventually drying out and crusting over. The infected bands of skin typically wrap around one side of the bodyleft or right. Shingles mostly appears on the torso, face, and neck, but it has been known to pop up on an arm or leg.

    People with weakened immune systems often have shingles that stray from the typical band-like pattern. Their shingles may be more widespread.

    People with severe cases of shingles may see permanent changes in the pigmentation of their skin once their blisters scab over and fall off.

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    How Shingles Can Get Into The Eyes

    After the symptoms of chickenpox have cleared up, the virus lies dormant in the body. More specifically, the virus remains in the nerves. At any time, the virus can reactivate and cause shingles to develop.

    When the virus reactivates in a nerve called the trigeminal nerve, it can cause shingles of the eye. The trigeminal nerve carries signals between the brain and several areas of the face, including the eye.

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    What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Chickenpox

    The Inside Analysis!: What does shingles look like?

    Chickenpox often starts without the classic rash, with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache. These symptoms may last for a few days, with the fever in the 101°102°F range.

    The red, itchy skin rash usually starts on the belly or back and face. Then it spreads to almost everywhere else on the body, including the scalp, mouth, arms, legs, and genitals.

    The rash begins as many small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They appear in waves over 2 to 4 days, then develop into thin-walled blisters filled with fluid. The blister walls break, leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs.

    All three stages of the chickenpox rash appear on the body at the same time. The rash may spread wider or be more severe in kids who have weak immune systems or skin disorders like eczema.

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    The Shingles Belt: The Key To Spotting The Difference

    The shingles brand or girdle is the easiest visual sign to spot when dealing with the active virus and a great way to tell the difference between this serious condition and a mild skin rash in seniors. Shingles classically appears around the waist or rib cage, circling the area to look like a belt. This rash formation can be wide or narrow and will typically cover only one side of the midsection.

    If you believe you might have shingles, isolate to control the spread of the virus and contact a healthcare professional to complete a physical examination. A healthcare provider will quickly know if its shingles because of the viruss unique, active, blistering rash. They will prescribe the needed antivirals after the visit and suggesting at-home remedies to quicken recovery time and relieve pain.

    When To Seek Medical Advice

    Shingles is not usually serious, but you should see your GP as soon as possible if you recognise the symptoms. Early treatment may help reduce the severity of your symptoms and the risk of developing complications.

    You should also see your GP if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system and you think you have been exposed to someone with chickenpox or shingles and haven’t had chickenpox before.

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    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.

    Contact Dermatitis Can Cause A Rash And Blisters

    Shingles disease what it looks like how to treat it

    Contact dermatitis can also cause a rash, blisters, itching, and burning, per the ACAAI. It occurs when the skin comes into contact with an irritant or an allergen, such as soaps, laundry detergents, shampoos, metals, medications, and more. Allergens like poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac can cause red, itchy rashes that may include blisters. Treatment can offer relief and aid healing.

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    How Do You Prevent Shingles

    You can lower your risk of shingles and its complications by getting the vaccine for shingles. The Food and Drug Administration approved the shingles vaccine Shingrix for people:

    • ages 50 and older
    • people 18 years and older whose immune systems are weakened or compromised by a medical condition
    • people 18 years and older taking immune-suppressing medication

    Shingrix is 97% effective at preventing shingles in people with healthy immune systems, ages 5069 years, and 91% effective for adults 70 and older. The vaccine also reduces the risk of severe shingles and complications of shingles in all adults.

    You can reduce your risk of chickenpox and the subsequent development of shingles by avoiding exposure to a person with chickenpox and getting vaccines for both of these conditions, as your healthcare professional recommends.

    Other Health Problems Due To Shingles

    Some people develop other health problems after the shingles rash clears, which include:

    Postherpetic neuralgia : This is the most common. Occurring where you had the rash, PHN can cause constant tingling, burning, and pain. For others, the pain comes and goes.

    Whether the pain is constant or intermittent, it can go on for a long time. You can have PHN for months, years, or the rest of your life. There is no way to know how long it will last.

    The pain caused by PHN can become so severe that it interferes with your life, making everyday activities painful. A musician may no longer be able to play an instrument. Some people cannot walk comfortably. It may be difficult to bathe or get dressed. You may have trouble sleeping.

    How to prevent PHN: If you have shingles, you can greatly reduce your risk of PHN by getting treated for shingles within 3 days of developing the rash.

    Get treated for shingles within 3 days of developing the rash

    Taking antiviral medication within 3 days of getting the shingles rash can: Reduce your risk of developing PHN Ease symptoms of shingles Clear the shingles rash more quickly

    Other health problems that can develop after the shingles rash clears include:

    • Blindness or loss of some eyesight

    Although rare, some people die of shingles.

    Treatment can prevent these complications.

    You can find out if you have a greater risk of developing shingles at, Shingles: Causes.

    Images

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    Can Eye Shingles Cause Blindness

    Even with proper treatment, some eye shingles patients still develop eye disorders such as corneal scarring, glaucoma or retinal disease.

    For example, eye shingles can cause:

    • A corneal dendrite which may lead to a scar

    In the most severe cases of eye shingles, a patient may need a corneal transplant.

    Eye shingles is not contagious. It cannot be spread to another person.

    However, a person who has shingles-related rash anywhere on their body can transmit chickenpox virus to someone who hasnt already had chickenpox or been vaccinated for the condition.

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    Psoriasis Forms Red Patches On The Skin

    The Inside Analysis!: What does shingles look like?

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is easy to confuse with the shingles rash. As with the shingles virus, psoriasis forms red patches on the skin, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. One type of psoriasis pustular can lead to the development of blisters. Areas of skin affected by psoriasis often develop into silvery scales on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. Treatment can help control the condition.

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    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. Theyll likely provide you with medication to ease your pain and help fight the virus.

    Whos At Risk For Shingles

    Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can get shingles, but the risk increases with age. People older than age 60 are up to 10 times more likely to get shingles than younger people. Other factors that increase your risk include:

    • Some cancer medicines
    • A weak immune system from illnesses such as cancer or HIV

    A quarter of adults will develop shingles at some point, and most are otherwise healthy.

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    Can I Go To Work With Shingles

    You can go to work if you have shingles and are no longer contagious. However, you may need to wait until youre feeling better. Shingles can be excruciating and debilitating.

    Youre no longer contagious when the rash and blisters begin to scab over. This is typically 10 days after the rash first crops up.

    Is The Zostavax Vaccine Still Being Used

    What is Shingles?

    Yes. It is still recommended for preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia in healthy people age 50 and older. Zostavax is given as a single-dose shot versus the two-dose shot for Shingrix. Zostavax is less effective than Shingrix in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia .

    Zostavax can be considered if you are allergic to Shingrix or if Shingrix is unavailable due to supply shortage and you want some immediate protection from a possible case of shingles and/or postherpetic neuralgia. Because it is a weakened live vaccine, it may be dangerous if you have cancer, HIV, or take steroids, chemotherapy or other medications that suppress your immune system. Ask your healthcare provider if the Zostavax vaccine is an option for you.

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