What Shingles Symptoms Are And What To Do About Them

By Pamela Wilson


Also known as herpes zoster, shingles is a mutated strain of chicken pox that is common among seniors. For aging adults, this can be a very serious issue. In addition to spreading rapidly, this illness creates a significant amount of discomfort that can lead to the development of secondary health issues. Following are several shingles symptoms you might experience as well as tips for dealing with them.

The earliest of these symptoms may be difficult to detect. For instance, you might be feeling more fatigued than usually or you may have some swelling in your lymph nodes and glands. This is a sign that your body is aware of the impending infection and is doing its best to fight it off.

As the illness progresses, you will likely feel localized tingling and pain. This is nerve discomfort and it indicates that the shingles are about to erupt. Most people develop an apron-like rash around the mid-section. Thus, if you have a tingling sensation in your lower or upper abdomen at the skin, this could mean that you are poised to experience some problems.

When you have developed the actual rash, this is going to be painful, red and raised. Given that it is a form of the chicken pox virus, it is going to be exceedingly itchy as well. Although you may have had chicken pox before or you may have been vaccinated against shingles, you can still get it. Vaccinations remain, however, a very worthwhile, preventative measure.

There are some people who get the rash on facial areas. Beyond being visually unappealing, this can also be quite uncomfortable. More importantly, facial shingles can start spreading towards the scalp and even to your eyes. Serious problems can develop if this is allowed to happen. This is why seniors are advised to see their doctors as quickly as possible.

Much like nay other virus, this illness is not possible to cure. Your doctor, however, can prescribe medications that are capable of suppressing the illness. This means that these drugs can shorten the duration of the infection and limit its severity so that discomfort is shorter lasting and minimized overall. These medications can also keep rashes from spreading towards the eyes. Remember that scratching with any type of chicken pox is never a good idea. Beyond resulting in the spread of this issue, this can also create problems with secondary skin infection.

Aging adults should be cognizant of the fact that severe pain can result in higher blood pressure. This is important to note if you already have high blood pressure or if you suffer from heart disease. Getting medical care will limit the likelihood of secondary problems while promoting more stable, all-around health.

This is one of the most uncomfortable developments that elderly people can face. It usually occurs when the immune system is fatigued and when people are under a lot of stress. If you develop any of these symptoms along with a red and itchy rash, you should seek qualified medical help as soon as you possibly can.




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