Shingles is a recurrence of the common children's disease known as chicken pox. Although the virus that causes chicken pox and shingles was thought to be separate, shingles is from the same microbe called varicella-zoster virus. When a person is infected with the virus, chicken pox occurs. However, the virus can also lie dormant in the nervous system and present symptoms years later in the form of shingles. There are typical signs and symptoms of a recurring shingles episode.
Stages
Shingles recurrences usually happen in adults. A common characteristic of shingles is that it typically happens on only one side of the body. During an outbreak, there are a few common symptoms that happen to most patients. Shooting pain is common, which is the first warning sign of an outbreak. The next stage brings out active virus symptoms. For some patients, a third stage also occurs called postherpetic neuralgia. A small percentage of people also have outbreaks that bring pain without the presence of a rash.
Prodrome
Prodrome is the first stage of a shingles outbreak, and it is characterized by pain symptoms at the site of where the rash develops. The pain is a sharp, acute, piercing feeling that is similar to an electric shock. Occasionally, itchiness or redness develops during the pain, and some patients experience muscle aches. Pain symptoms usually last for up to five days before the rash appears. However, some patients experience pain for months.
Active Shingles
After pain, symptoms of a rash develop in the area. Normally, shingles outbreaks occur on the chest, face or back. If a rash develops on the face, it can spread to the eye causing damage. Blisters form that are similar to chicken pox, but they eventually heal after several days. Pain is also a common symptom during this stage of shingles.
Postherpetic Neuralgia
Postherpetic neuralgia is a symptom that occurs in some shingles patients. It's characterized by continual pain even after the rash subsides. It occurs in about 10 to 20 percent of shingles patients. The pain can last for several months.
Zoster Sine Herpete
Zoster sine herpete is a condition where pain develops during a shingles recurrence outbreak but no rash is present. It's common in the elderly, and it also has symptoms such as vomiting, headache, fever and chills. One of the common symptoms of this stage is Bell's palsy, which causes the face to become paralyzed on one side.
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