What is Shingles?
Shingles is a viral infection of the nerve that appears as painful rashes. Under normal circumstances, shingles can occur anywhere on the body, but in many cases it appears as a single strip of blisters covering the left or right side of the trunk.
Shingles is caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. Under normal conditions, after an individual has chickenpox, the Varicella zoster virus continues to exist inactively in the nerve tissue near the individual's spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may become active again and cause the symptoms of shingles to appear.
Shingles usually lasts for two to six weeks and goes away on its own. Most individuals get shingles only once. However, since the virus causing the disease did not leave the body, it was observed that the situation recurred more than once in some cases, especially in cases where the immune system was weakened.
Shingles Treatment
Under normal circumstances, there is no cure for shingles. However, starting the treatment process early with some antiviral drugs that can be prescribed by the doctor can speed up the recovery and reduce the risk of the individual developing complications. Also, your doctor may prescribe pain relievers and/or creams to reduce your pain and lessen the severity of your symptoms.
