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Painful skin inflammation with potential flu-like symptoms caused by the same virus as chickenpox.
What is it?
Herpes Zoster, commonly referred to as Shingles, is a viral disorder that results in a painful skin inflammation with blisters, often appearing in a band-like pattern on a single side of the body. Shingles is caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
If you've had chickenpox, the virus can remain inactive in nerve tissues for many years, or even decades, and reactivate later in life to trigger shingles. Shingles symptoms include pain, itchiness and a burning feeling before the rash's emergence. In some patients, these symptoms are accompanied by fever, headache, and tiredness.
Anyone who has experienced shingles will attest that it can be incredibly unpleasant. By identifying the telltale rash early, the team at Dermatologists of Southwest Ohio can help manage your symptoms and reduce the risk of complications like postherpetic neuralgia, a disorder that can inflict chronic nerve pain long after the rash has subsided.
How is it treated?
If we catch shingles early, an antiviral medication can help diminish the severity and duration of the illness. This treatment can also help reduce the risk of longer-term complications resulting in chronic nerve pain.
During outbreak of the rash, our board-certified dermatology providers can help with pain management and may prescribe corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
Experiencing shingles can be difficult. You don't need to go through it alone. We are here to help at our offices in Batavia, Beavercreek, Bridgetown, Cincinnati, Dayton, Dent, Greenville, Hillsboro, Kettering, Mason, Montgomery, Oxford, Troy, West Chester and Wilmington, Ohio.