| Knowing Shingles Symptoms |
| Written by Adam Machony | |
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Perhaps the most common element associated with shingles symptoms is pain. The condition is one that is brought on by a virus, the same virus strand that brings chicken pox to small children (though much more serious in adults.) One of the most common misconceptions about shingles is that if you have had chicken pox you will never need to worry about getting shingles. This is not necessarily true because shingles can hide in your nerves, deep into tissue and stay dormant throughout much of your life before reactivating in the form of shingles. For many people, this simply does not happen and although the virus is there, it never reactivates. What's more, if you have never had chicken pox before, you too can be susceptible to shingles. This is due in part to the fact that the chicken pox virus was likely exposed to you, at a young age, but no symptoms were present then. Years later, it can reactivate. What Happens?Shingles symptoms are often first noticed when an individual feels them. This viral infection causes a very painful, severe rash. The rash looks like a line or band of blisters. It forms on the middle of the back region and moves around your sides to your chest. Usually, it ends at about the location of the breastbone. Shingles can also be found on other areas of your body. Other common locations include your neck, your scalp and even the face. In some rare cases, shingles symptoms can be found in other regions of the body as well.Most likely, the first signs and symptoms of the condition will be the pain as it can be very severe. The pain may even be present before the actual rash has developed, which can leave people unsure of what is happening or how to stop it. The rash forms, with blisters, and this is often the most noticeable clue that you are experiencing shingles. The virus, also called herpes zoster, is not necessarily something that is caught from another person that is experiencing it at that moment, but could be from exposure several years back. In a worst case scenario, the shingles symptoms can cause a condition called post herpetic neuralgia. This condition is one that is dreaded because the individual is in pain for long periods of time. Even after the rash has cleared up and is no longer visible to the eye, the pain may linger. In some cases, this can last for days or weeks, in other cases it can last for years. This does not happen to everyone, nor is it a common occurrence with shingles. Although may believe so, it is a myth that shingles is life threatening, unless other immune compromising conditions are present in the body. Through treatment, most patients that have experience any of the shingles symptoms are able to overcome the condition quickly and with a reduction to the amount of pain they feel. |
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