What Does A Shingles Rash Look Like?
A shingles rash is a painful manifestation of the virus which causes shingles. This is a condition wherein the skin develops painful rashes which turn into blisters which have fluid in them. Caused by the same virus which causes chickenpox, it is a condition which is not easily transmitted from one person to another, but is rather developed by the body as the dormant chickenpox virus reactivates and goes from the body's nerves to the skin.
Shingles rashes normally turn up on one side of the body only. However, the rashes do not turn up immediately, so the patient would most likely feel pain even without the manifestation on the skin. As the rashes start to show up, they will be shown as small blisters that are reddish in appearance. The blisters will increase in number and will be more evident from three to five days.
The rashes follow a linear path which may appear as dots on a single line. This is because the infection follows nerve paths. They can also create rays and bands as patterns on the skin, again following the patterns of the nerves. Shingles commonly occur on a single nerve level, but in rare cases manifest in more than a single nerve.
As the infection matures, the blisters will pop and ooze liquid. A scab would then be formed on the wounds, enabling the infection to heal. Shingles can manifest in a person's body from three weeks up to a month since the reactivation of the infection. In some cases, the rashes and the blisters do not appear, but the pain is present.
It is therefore important to see a doctor and consult about pains of which causes are not easily identified. You might already have developed shingles and have not known it yet. It is important to take utmost care, especially when dealing with other people, since it is contagious to people who haven't had chickenpox yet.
On the other hand, it cannot be passed to a person and immediately develop as shingles as well.
If a person who hasn't had chickenpox catches the infection, he or she will develop chickenpox and not shingles. They will be at risk to developing the condition only after the virus has become dormant, meaning the chickenpox is already cured.
People who already had chickenpox are immune to the virus already, but they can develop the infection since they already have the virus in their bodies. To prevent shingles, vaccines are available and are given as a one-time dosage.
Shingles rashes normally turn up on one side of the body only. However, the rashes do not turn up immediately, so the patient would most likely feel pain even without the manifestation on the skin. As the rashes start to show up, they will be shown as small blisters that are reddish in appearance. The blisters will increase in number and will be more evident from three to five days.
The rashes follow a linear path which may appear as dots on a single line. This is because the infection follows nerve paths. They can also create rays and bands as patterns on the skin, again following the patterns of the nerves. Shingles commonly occur on a single nerve level, but in rare cases manifest in more than a single nerve.
As the infection matures, the blisters will pop and ooze liquid. A scab would then be formed on the wounds, enabling the infection to heal. Shingles can manifest in a person's body from three weeks up to a month since the reactivation of the infection. In some cases, the rashes and the blisters do not appear, but the pain is present.
It is therefore important to see a doctor and consult about pains of which causes are not easily identified. You might already have developed shingles and have not known it yet. It is important to take utmost care, especially when dealing with other people, since it is contagious to people who haven't had chickenpox yet.
On the other hand, it cannot be passed to a person and immediately develop as shingles as well.
If a person who hasn't had chickenpox catches the infection, he or she will develop chickenpox and not shingles. They will be at risk to developing the condition only after the virus has become dormant, meaning the chickenpox is already cured.
People who already had chickenpox are immune to the virus already, but they can develop the infection since they already have the virus in their bodies. To prevent shingles, vaccines are available and are given as a one-time dosage.