herpes zoster symptoms

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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The symptoms of herpes zoster primarily manifest as irregular erythema on certain parts of the body's skin, followed by clusters of rice-grain or mung bean-sized raised vesicular rash, blisters, and blood blisters. These rashes generally appear on one side of the body, not crossing the body's midline, and are accompanied by local sensations of burning, scalding pain, stabbing pain, numbness, itching, and other abnormal neural sensations.

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Does shingles leave scars?

After shingles heal, in most cases, there are no scars left. Shingles typically cause symptoms such as blisters or rashes on the skin, which are mostly located in the epidermal layer of the skin and do not infect below the dermis. Therefore, once these blisters heal, they only scab over on the epidermal layer. After the scab falls off, the original skin regrows without any scarring. However, if the patient is prone to scarring, they are generally left with scars.

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How is herpes zoster transmitted?

Shingles is caused by the activation of the varicella-zoster virus that lies dormant in the nerve roots, affecting both the skin and nerves. There are several ways shingles can spread, mainly through direct contact or droplet transmission. Direct contact transmission primarily occurs because the blister fluid in shingles blisters contains a high concentration of the virus. Therefore, before the blisters of a person with shingles are completely dry, they are somewhat contagious, primarily affecting those with lower resistance such as the elderly, children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and so on.

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Shingles is what disease?

Shingles is primarily caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which enters the human bloodstream through the respiratory tract mucosa, leading to chickenpox or a latent infection. The virus then lies dormant in the nerve ganglia of the body. Certain triggers, such as trauma, fatigue, weakness after illness, malignant tumors, or the use of immunosuppressants, can decrease the body's resistance and activate the dormant virus, resulting in shingles.

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Does shingles recur?

Shingles, this skin disease is recurrent. Not only is it contagious, but it also has a propensity to recur. The likelihood of recurrence is greatly influenced by one's own resistance and also greatly related to the people one comes into contact with. Therefore, after recovering from shingles, it is essential to avoid further contact with other shingles patients or those with chickenpox. One should balance work and rest, drink plenty of water, get adequate rest, and enhance personal immunity. If shingles recurs, it is crucial to seek timely treatment at a reputable hospital.

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What department should I go to for shingles?

Herpes zoster should be treated in dermatology, and patients should visit the dermatology department. Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is an acute vesicular skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is particularly common in the spring and autumn seasons. It mostly affects adults and is even more prevalent among the elderly. Before the rash appears, there may be varying degrees of prodromal symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Neuralgia is a characteristic of the disease, and pain can occur before or after the eruption of the rash. The rash follows the distribution of cutaneous nerves, with the most common areas being the intercostal nerves, cervical nerves, trigeminal nerves, and sacral nerves. The rash is usually unilateral and does not typically cross the midline of the body. The duration of herpes zoster is about two to four weeks for recovery, and generally, it does not recur after healing. However, some elderly and frail patients may suffer from chronic pain as a sequelae, so timely medical consultation is important.