What You Need to Know About Shingles

Learn more about shingles - and get a look under the skin of a patient dealing with the condition - with Sharecare's revolutionary 360-degree virtual reality technology.

Transcript

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NARRATOR: This is a virtual reality enabled video. Use your mouse if you're on a computer, or finger if you're on your phone to move around.

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Shingles can occur anywhere on the body, but typically affects only one side of the torso.

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Often, it is confined to a single stripe that wraps around the trunk or waist. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster

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virus or VZV, which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you've had chicken pox before,

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then the virus is already in your body, lying dormant in your nerve cells. Later in life it can emerge again in the form of shingles.

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Once awoken, the virus travels along the nerve fibers to the skin. Skin is made up of three protective layers;

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the outer epidermis, the middle dermis, and the inner hypodermis.

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Blood vessels and nerves branch out throughout these layers. Blood vessels nourish the skin, while nerves provide sensation

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to the skin. The virus follows nerves to the epidermis, resulting in a painful rash, usually

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with fluid filled blisters. It is the fluid from these blisters that is contagious to people who have not had chicken pox.

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Once these blisters crust over, there is no more risk for spreading the virus. Doctors aren't sure what triggers it,

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but people with aging immune systems are at a higher risk of experiencing a shingles outbreak. The only way to potentially prevent shingles

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is to get vaccinated. So if you are over 50, talk with your doctor about what options are available to you.

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In addition to the stabbing pain, itching or tingling people can also experience fever, chills,

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headache, and upset stomach. Shingles can take two to four weeks to clear up, so be sure to cover up the rash.

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Don't touch or scratch the blisters, and wash your hands frequently.