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Shingles Symptoms


When the virus which causes chickenpox reactivates itself it causes shingles. Early shingles symptoms include headache, sensitivity to light and flu-like symptoms without a fever. You can then feel itching, tingling or pain where a band, strip, or small area of rash can appear several days or weeks afterwards. A rash may appear anywhere on the body but will be on one side of the body only either the left or right. The rash will initially form blisters, then scab over, and later clear up over a few weeks. This band of pain and rash is the clearest shingles symptoms.

The rash caused by shingles is much more painful than itchy. The nerve roots which supply sensation to your skin run in pathways on each side of the body. Shingles develops in levels and so does the shingles symptoms. Shingles symptoms include swelling and tenderness of the lymph nodes while in active stage rash and blisters appear. Other shingles symptoms are a band, strip, or small area of rash. It may appear anywhere on the body but will be on only one side of the body as mentioned. Blisters also form. Fluid inside the blister is clear at first but can become cloudy after 3 to 4 days. A few people do not get a rash, or the rash is mild.
Other shingles symptoms are occurrence of a rash on the forehead, cheek, nose, and around one eye (herpes zoster ophthalmicus), that can threaten the sight unless one gets prompt treatment.

Pain, explained as "piercing needles in the skin," can accompany the skin rash which among shingles symptoms. Blisters can break open, ooze, and crust over in about 5 days. The rash heals in about 2 to 4 weeks, despite some scars can remain. postherpetic neuralgia is chronic pain stage and  is the most common complication of shingles.