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Shingles, also known by its scientific name of herpes zoster, is widely known as a painful and difficult medical condition. If diagnosed early, symptoms can be treated with Zovirax and are often much more manageable, allowing the disease to resolve itself in as much as half the time.
Shingles appears only in people who have previously had chickenpox. The virus never fully clears from the body, but instead stays dormant for many years. It is unknown why only some people develop shingles later on and others do not. Possible factors include compromised immune system or high stress levels. It is most common in people over fifty.
Initial symptoms include headache, fever, or what generally feels like a mild flu. Because these are so minor, the correct diagnosis is not often determined until the distinctive skin rash appears, usually a few days later. This presents only on one side of the body or the other, and can last several weeks.
The latent herpes virus is stored in spinal nerves and travels along the nerve pathways. Because of this, the discomforts associated with the rash and blisters are much more severe than either chickenpox or herpes. Lesions are much more often painful rather than itchy. Sometimes residual nerve pain can persist for months or even years after the rash has healed, which can be debilitating both physically and emotionally.
Shingles is highly contagious during the blister stage. Chickenpox can result in those who have not already been exposed to the virus and developed immunity. There is no possibility of contagion either before or after the active rash is present, regardless of lingering nerve pain.
Taking an anti-viral medication like Zovirax within the first few days of onset can dramatically lessen an outbreak, both in severity of the symptoms themselves and the length of time they persist. There has been some success with a shingles vaccine, but Zovirax is one of the most effective options for treating a case that is already in effect.
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