recently having a bone marrow transplant – the conditioning you require before the transplant weakens your immune system. HIV and AIDS – people with HIV are much more likely to get shingles than the rest of the population because their immune system is weak.physical and emotional stress – the chemicals released by your body when you're stressed can prevent your immune system working properly.old age – as you age, your immunity may decrease, and shingles most commonly occurs in people over 70 years old.It's not known exactly why the shingles virus is reactivated at a later stage in life, but most cases are thought to be caused by having lowered immunity (protection against infections and diseases). It's possible to have shingles more than once, but it's very rare to get it more than twice. The immune system keeps the virus in check, but later in life it can be reactivated and cause shingles. Most people have chickenpox in childhood, but after the illness has gone, the varicella-zoster virus remains dormant (inactive) in the nervous system. you have a weakened immune system – particularly in severe cases or cases affecting children.you've been diagnosed with the condition more than twice.you have an unusually persistent case of shingles that's not responding to treatment.shingles is affecting one of your eyes – there's a risk you could develop permanent vision problems if the condition isn't treated quickly.they suspect a complication of shingles, such as meningitis or encephalitis.It's uncommon for someone with shingles to be referred to hospital, but your GP may consider seeking specialist advice if: You should see your GP if you are under 18 years old, pregnant or have a weakened immune system (the body's natural defence system) and you think you have been exposed to someone with chickenpox or shingles and haven't had chickenpox before.Įarly treatment may help reduce the severity of your symptoms and the risk of developing complications. In most cases your pharmacist should be able to provide treatment, however they may recommend that you need to contact your GP practice for treatment if required. Shingles isn’t usually serious, but see your pharmacist as soon as possible if you recognise the symptoms. Shingles usually affects a specific area on one side of the body and doesn't cross over the midline of the body (an imaginary line running from between your eyes down past the belly button).Īny part of your body can be affected, including your face and eyes, but the chest and abdomen (tummy) are the most common areas. burning, tingling, numbness or itchiness of the skin in the affected areaĪn episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks, however in some cases the pain may last for many weeks once the rash has disappeared.In some cases, shingles may cause some early symptoms that develop a few days before the painful rash first appears. The pain may be a constant, dull or burning sensation and its intensity can vary from mild to severe. You may have sharp stabbing pains from time to time, and the affected area of skin will usually be tender. Scabs then form where the blisters were, which may leave some slight scarring. The main symptom of shingles is pain, followed by a rash that develops into itchy blisters, similar in appearance to chickenpox. New blisters may appear for up to a week, but a few days after appearing they become yellowish in colour, flatten and dry out. It's estimated that around one in every four people will have at least one episode of shingles during their life. It's caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is an infection of a nerve and the skin around it.
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