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\nShingles is a common viral infection that most noticeably causes a painful rash on the skin. It develops when the varicella zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox) reactivates in the body.\n<\/p>\n \nAnyone who has had chickenpox can later develop shingles. Usually, the condition affects older adults. This is likely because the immune system, as it weakens as you age, is no longer able to keep the virus dormant, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).\u00b9\n<\/p>\n \nThe telltale sign of shingles is a rash that appears as a patchy belt of fluid-filled blisters, almost always along one side of the body or face. There are symptoms of illness even before this rash appears, though.\n<\/p>\n \nRead on to find out more about the signs and symptoms that you or a loved one can experience during a shingles illness.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nMost cases of shingles last three to five weeks, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).\u00b2 Over the course of the illness, the signs and symptoms can change.\n<\/p>\n \nThe signature sign of shingles is the rash. Here's what you'll likely notice with the shingles rash:\n<\/p>\n Unlike chickenpox bumps that are scattered all over the body, the shingles rash will usually appear like a band in a localized area on either the right or left side of the body.\u00b2 The virus affects the nervous system underneath the skin, typically reactivating in a single nerve. Any portion of skin that is connected to that nerve pathway can produce the rash, according to MedlinePlus.\u00b3<\/p>\n A common rash location is the torso.\u00b2 But experts at Boston Children’s Hospital point out that the shingles rash also routinely shows up on the buttocks, arms, legs, and face.\u2074 In rare cases, and generally among people with weakened immune systems, the rash may be more widespread, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\u2075<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The rash will start as bumps on the skin, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.\u2076 On lighter skin, the rash is red, but the UK’s National Health Service points out that the color can appear differently on darker skin.\u2077 While a red rash might indeed look red on darker skin, it might also look purple, darker or lighter than the skin’s typical color, or no different from the skin’s typical color, according to Temple Health.\u2078<\/p>\n Within a couple days, the bumps develop into fluid-filled blisters called vesicles.\u00b2 According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the vesicles may merge to cover a larger area, or appear as distinct separate clusters.\u2079<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n After the blistery rash develops, the vesicles will burst and ooze before they start to dry out and crust over. This scabbing process can take up to 10 days. The scabs usually fully clear up within two to four weeks.\u2075<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \nExpect to feel discomfort, such as pain, itching, or tingling, with the rash, per the CDC.\u00b9\u2070 The pain may outlast the rash, usually stopping after a month or two, according to the AAD.\u00b9\u00b9\n<\/p>\n \nAbout one to five days before a rash even develops, you might experience skin sensitivity or discomfort.\u00b2 The sensations are often described as feeling like:\n<\/p>\n \nAlso notice where <\/em>the skin sensitivity occurs. Discomfort will be felt in the area that the shingles rash will soon appear, Johns Hopkins Medicine notes.\u00b9\u00b2\n<\/p>\n \nThe discomfort can be mild, intense, or somewhere in between.\u00b2\n<\/p>\n \nEven before the rash shows, you might develop symptoms that are typical of other viral infections like the flu.\u2075 These symptoms include:\n<\/p>\n \nThese symptoms will typically go away as the rash itself clears, per the AAD.\u00b9\u00b3\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nIf you think you might have shingles, it’s important to see a health care provider. Getting your rash checked and receiving treatment within three days can help you feel better faster and avoid any potential complications, according to the AAD.\u00b9\u2074\n<\/p>\n \nSome people may be at an increased risk for developing shingles-related complications, so seeing a health care provider and receiving treatment is especially important if:\n<\/p>\n \nDuring the appointment, the health care provider will ask if you've had chickenpox in the past, look at your rash, and make note of your symptoms. Usually, the provider will be able to diagnose shingles just by your medical history and the rash's appearance.\u00b3\n<\/p>\n \nYour provider might also confirm infection with a laboratory test. They will either swab fluid from the blister or draw your blood and send the sample to the lab for testing, MedlinePlus reports.\u00b9\u2077\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nShingles is a viral infection that develops when the chickenpox virus becomes active again in the body. Shingles is usually associated with its main feature: a distinct painful and blistery rash. Other common signs of a shingles infection include typical viral symptoms, like fatigue, fever, chills, and headache.\n<\/p>\n \nGetting proper treatment as quickly as possible can help you better manage the illness, so consider contacting your health care provider if you think you may have shingles.\n<\/p>\n \nSources:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Getty Images Shingles is a common viral infection that most noticeably causes a painful rash on the skin. It develops when the varicella zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox) reactivates in the body. Anyone who has had chickenpox can later develop shingles. Usually, the condition affects older adults. This is likely because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,244,429,67],"tags":[37,245,430,69],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16958"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Common Shingles Signs and Symptoms<\/strong> <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Painful Rash <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/thmb\/NU6iej44GTAeN9NrsL5jWDJqFvA=\/650x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/Herpes-zoster-14__WatermarkedWyJXYXRlcm1hcmtlZCJd-3500d043e8334d418a112cce806faeba.jpeg\")
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Skin Sensitivity <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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Flu-Like Symptoms <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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When to See a Health Care Provider<\/strong> <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Recap<\/strong> <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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