What are the common symptoms of shingles? A rash similar to chicken pox is the first sign you should look out for in case you have been infected with shingles. Shingles is a painful infection type and also known as shingle rash, which is caused by the itchy blister-like rashes appearing on one side of your body. This is not the same as a runny or itchy rash.
What are the common symptoms of shingles? The discomfort of itching and the pain of the blisters make this an extremely uncomfortable condition to deal with. However, there is more to it than that. A painful condition called postherpetic nervousgia (PNN), which is the awful pain you feel when the blisters are blistered is also not the same as the painful rash.
You can generally differentiate a shingling rash from a runny or itchy rash by asking yourself a few questions. Is there pain in one side only? Can you pinpoint which side it hurts? When the pain is at its worse, what do you normally do? If it is not covered by blisters, then it is more likely to be herpes simplex virus or genital warts.
Many individuals may experience pain and redness on one side only of their body, usually on the side that is currently experiencing the outbreak. Other individuals may experience the pain on both sides of their body. Some individuals may have the shingles virus show up in just a couple of days, while others may get them several weeks or even months later. Not every person gets them. It’s important to note that the virus can lie dormant for years, but outbreaks can occur every few months to a year.
One of the most common shingles symptoms to watch out for is itching. The itching is caused by the area being infected. Some folks will have an itchy rash that comes and goes, while others may have an itchy rash that lasts a long time. Either way, it is always a pain to have itching around the eyes or the face. Some individuals may also experience burning sensations as well as muscle aches.
A characteristic rash is another symptom to look out for. Some individuals may experience what appears to be a blister on the skin when the virus first arrives. Other individuals may not experience much of a problem with blisters at all, or they may only see a small spot. When the virus finally does arrive on the skin though, it is often a red rash that is surrounded by red, raised blisters.
In terms of treatment, some people opt to take anti-viral drugs after they experience one or more of the shingles symptoms. These drugs work by destroying any viral components that have made it into the patient’s body. Unfortunately, anti-viral drugs cannot keep the virus from coming back once it has been cured. This is why it is usually necessary for individuals who have had one or more outbreaks to also receive antiviral medications once the infection is gone.
Some individuals are diagnosed with HIV when they have symptoms of an hiv infection too. Because so many of these same symptoms can appear years after an HIV infection has been contracted, it is important to make sure that one has a proper HIV test. HIV blood tests are available at blood banks all over the country. A simple blood test will determine if the person has been infected with HIV. If so, they can begin to take steps towards living a healthy, normal life free of the virus.
