Herpes Zoster Health Article

Definition, Etiology, And Risk Factors

Herpes zoster, also called zoster or shingles, is a painful skin rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes varicella or chickenpox. .

After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in nerve tissue. However, the virus can become active again years later and cause shingles. Any person who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles, though shingles most commonly occurs in persons older than 50 years. Shingles is also more common in persons with weakened immune systems resulting from human immunodeficiency virus infection, chemotherapy treatment, radiation treatment, transplantation surgery, and stress. In the United States, an estimated 1 million cases of shingles occur each year.

Most commonly, a person has only 1 episode of shingles in his or her lifetime. Although rare, a second or even third case of shingles can occur in some persons.

Very rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, encephalitis, or death. About 1 in 5 persons also has PHN, a condition characterized by pain that persists after the rash has resolved. Older persons are more likely than younger persons to have PHN.

Transmission

Shingles cannot be transmitted from one person to another. However, VZV can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox through direct contact with the rash. The person exposed would have chickenpox, not shingles. The virus is not transmitted through sneezing, coughing, or casual contact. A person with shingles can spread the disease when the rash is in the blister phase. Once the skin lesions become crusted, a person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or if he or she has PHN.

The risk of spreading shingles is low if the rash is covered. Persons with shingles should be instructed to keep the rash covered, to not touch or scratch the rash, and to wash their hands often to prevent the transmission of VZV.

Signs And Symptoms

Shingles usually starts as a rash on one side of the face. The rash starts as blisters that crust over after 3 to 5 days. The rash usually resolves within 2 to 4 weeks.

Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain and tingling or itching generally located on one side of the body or face. The pain can be severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach.