Q&A : ADVICE FROM EXPERTS SHINGLES VIRUS FROM CHICKENPOX.

What is shingles?

Shingles is a skin rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox.

How common is this virus?

About 300,000 cases are reported each year in the United States. The condition is more common in patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy and in those with AIDS or other causes of immune system suppression. But most cases occur in people who are otherwise healthy, and about 2 percent of patients have a recurrent bout of the condition.

If I had chickenpox, can I get shingles?

Yes. After a case of chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in nerve cells along the spinal cord and lower part of the brain. Years later, shingles can erupt when the dormant virus is reactivated and migrates along the nerve to the skin.

What are the symptoms?

Intense burning pain and skin eruptions can occur along the site of the affected nerve, with a slightly raised rash that will turn into small blisters. The condition can occur in a bandlike distribution on one side of the body, most often across the middle of the back and upper abdomen. Visual complications can also result when the eyes are affected by shingles.

How long does shingles last?

It will last seven to 10 days, but it often takes up to a month for the skin to return to normal. For those who develop shingles after age 50, pain may last for several months afterward.

Is there anything my doctor can do for me?

The anti-viral drug acyclovir may speed healing of skin lesions but does not seem to prevent or treat pain. Persistent pain is hard to treat. Analgesic medications may be successful, but treatment also may require prescription narcotics. Some patients respond to antidepressant drugs such as amitriptyline.