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Shingles

Shingles typically causes painful skin bumps or blisters. Even before the skin lesions appear, the pain of shingles can be severe. The skin pain is often described as a burning sensation of the skin with heightened sensitivity. The rash of shingles consists of red blisters that eventually burst and ooze. The rash occurs in a band-like distribution along the path of a nerve. The blisters eventually crust over (form a scab) and heal. Sometimes, symptoms like chills, diarrhea, and headache can occur as a person develops shingles. The nearby lymph nodes may be swollen.

Cause of shingles

Shingles is caused by a reactivation of an infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV, also referred to as the herpes zoster virus) that causes chickenpox.

Other shingles symptoms and signs

  • Blisters
  • Chills
  • Crusting of Skin
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Itching
  • Numbness
  • Rash
  • Sensitive Skin
  • Sensitivity to Light
  • Skin Burning
  • Skin Tingling (Pins and Needles Sensation)
  • Swollen Lymph Nodes

Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 9/10/2019

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