Shingles outbreaks is due to the same virus that causes chicken pox. Once you had chicken pox (most of us had it as children), the virus stays dormantt in your nerves and can be re-awakened when your immune system is low. This can be due to a variety of factors including illness, certain medication, growing older, have aids or stress. Most people that get singles are over the age of fifty.

It usually is just on one side of the body, but not always. Shingles is also called herpes zoster, which is different than other forms of herpes such as herpes simplex (cold sore virus). Some people have more burning than itching and others notice prickly tingling. The rash will develop into blisters a few days after the inital red bumps. It will scab and crust up usually within a week’s time. For some the pain still will continue after the rash has healed due to postherpetic neuralgia. You may find yourself extremely sensitive to touch.

If it is on your face, be sure to be alert about your eye area as damage to that area can lead to glaucoma or blindness. It is important to get help from your doctor for that. Steroids and anti-viral meds would be used at that point. For a severe case of shingles on your body you will also be given medications.

To alleviate the burning and itching, taking benadryl (capsules for sleep and cream for topical relief), oatmeal baths and calamine lotion are helpful.

Though most people have had chicken pox, be careful around kids as they can catch the virus from you if they havent’t contracted chicken pox yet. You can’t pass on shingles, but you can pass it to someone as chicken pox. (Shingles lives inside the nerves and develops internally).

If you are over sixty, the vaccine Zostavax has been found to reduce shingles outbreaks fifty percent so that is worth getting , but it is preventative only so will not be helpful during an episode of shingles. If you’ve never had chicken pox, getting the chicken pox vaccine will also make any case of shingles you may get in future, much milder.