Alcohol Abuse Advice

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Shingles

Chickenpox, the common childhood disease, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Once a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant at the roots of nerves in the body. In later years, the varicella-zoster virus may become reactivated and travel along the sensory nerves into the skin, causing herpes zoster or shingles. Symptoms of shingles are very similar to those of chickenpox, wherein a painful rash may appear on the skin. The word “shingles” is derived from a Latin word meaning “girdle” or “belt”, indicating the clustering of the rash in a broad band.

Symptoms of Shingles

The initial symptom of shingles is pain or extreme sensitivity in a wide band along one side of the body. The shingles sufferer may feel a burning, tingling, itching, deep, continuous, shooting or lightning bolt of pain. After one to three days, a rash may start to form. The rash consists of red bumps and blisters on the skin where pain is felt. These blisters are filled with pus and they pop and ooze after a week. It takes about a week for the blisters to dry up and form scabs. After two to three weeks, the scabs fall off and leave scars and brown discoloration on the skin.

The appearance of clusters of blisters on a red base is a symptom of shingles. The rash often appears on the torso, neck and back. It may also appear on the face and even in the lower body. Other symptoms include headache, chills and abdominal pain.

Diagnosis of Shingles

It is often difficult to diagnose shingles as the symptoms are vague and similar to other forms of rash. Diagnosis is often based on the history of pain and by examining the distribution of the blisters. Laboratory tests may be performed by taking scrapings from the blisters to confirm the presence of the herpes zoster virus.

The doctor may suspect shingles if the symptoms include a rash on only one side of the body, or the rash erupts along the dermatomes or nerve paths that originate from the spine. The diagnosis of shingles can be confirmed if the person reports a sharp burning pain, is elderly, or has had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. Unlike chickenpox where blisters occur all over the body, shingles rash is limited to certain areas.

Some people experience painful, burning or itchy sensations on one area of the skin but do not develop a rash. Without a rash, the symptoms of shingles can be difficult to diagnose as they can be mistaken for other diseases such as migraine or an abdominal condition. If this is the case, doctors can do a blood test to confirm the diagnosis.