St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care Physician Dr. Khadija Jones-Shelton explains symptoms, treatment and vaccination for shingles

As a child, did you have the chickenpox? If you were born before 1995 – when chickenpox immunization began – than the chances are likely you did. That now puts you at risk of developing another irritating rash called shingles.

Shingles is a painful rash that can develop in anyone who previously has been infected with varicella-zoster, also known as human herpesvirus 3. It’s the same virus that causes chickenpox, explains Dr. Khadija Jones-Shelton, primary care physician at St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care on Eisenhower.

Shingles is caused when the chickenpox virus is reactivated. After you have had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in certain nerves for the rest of your life. While anyone who had chickenpox can get shingles it is more likely to occur in people with weak immune systems and people over the age of 50. Stress also can induce a shingles rash.

Shingles presents as a painful, often times crusty and blistering rash that follows the course of an underlying nerve along a part of the body. The rash can appear anywhere on the body, including your face.

If the rash is over the eyes or the tip of the nose, that’s a medical emergency and you need to get to an emergency department, Dr. Jones-Shelton stresses. In those cases you need to be treated with an anti-viral medication right away and follow up with an ophthalmologist, as shingles over the eyes can cause vision loss or double vision.

“With most other rashes you might have a spot here and there,” Dr. Jones-Shelton says. “A shingles rash has a classic appearance. It is going to follow what we call body dermatomes. It may go in a straight line, for example. You would be able to tell it’s a shingles rash versus another type of rash based on that pattern.”

Another way to know it’s shingles – it is very painful, Dr. Jones-Shelton adds. That’s because the virus causes a lot of nerve pain that can lead to tingling or burning sensation or extreme sensitivity to touch.

About one in three Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated one million people get shingles every year.

So if you’ve ever had chickenpox or care for parents or grandparents who are at risk of shingles, it’s important to be aware of symptoms, treatment and consider vaccination. (Yes, there is a way to try to prevent that horrible rash!)

Who’s at risk of getting shingles?

As mentioned, anyone previously infected with the chickenpox virus can get shingles. This includes nearly everyone born before routine chickenpox immunization was started in 1995. Even children can get shingles. However, your risk of shingles increases as you get older.

Also, if you are immuno-compromised, you are at higher risk of getting shingles, Dr. Jones-Shelton adds.

What are the symptoms of shingles?

The rash can present in different stages, Dr. Jones-Shelton says. It typically starts as numbness and tingling along one area of the skin anywhere on the body. It can cause a lot of redness to the skin. Sometimes the rash may look crusty. Sometimes it may present with blisters. Or, all of the above.

Even after the rash goes away, which is typically within four weeks depending on treatment, you can still have lingering nerve tingling and pain, Dr. Jones-Shelton says.

How do you treat shingles?

There’s no cure for shingles, and the virus – although inactive – remains in your body even after the rash dissipates. Unfortunately, that also means the rash could return.

It’s not all doom and gloom. There are ways to help manage and improve symptoms, Dr. Jones-Shelton says. Some options include antiviral medications, lidocaine patches, creams and medications to help manage the pain associated with shingles.

Remember, if the rash is around your eyes or nose, go to the emergency department.

Can shingles be prevented?

So you had chickenpox as a kid and don’t want to deal with that irritating, itchy rash again, let alone face those lingering side effects. There’s good news in the form of vaccination.

The recombinant zoster vaccine is recommended to prevent shingles in adults 50 and older or those with a weakened immune system.

You’ve probably seen the commercials on TV for shingles vaccination. The most recent vaccine made available is called Shingrix, which is given over two does and has been shown to be more than 90 percent effective.

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against this painful disease, Dr. Jones-Shelton says. She adds, that while proven effective in preventing shingles, the vaccine is not an absolute guarantee that you won’t get shingles; however, symptoms tend to be less severe if you’ve been vaccinated.

She also advises to check with your insurance company before getting the vaccine. While it is available at primary care offices, some insurances, such as Medicaid and Medicare, recommend getting the vaccine through your neighborhood pharmacy.