Shingles is a viral infection – the same virus that causes chickenpox – which can cause a painful rash.
After a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive near the spinal cord.
It can be years later, when the person’s immune system is at its lowest, that it creeps up and erupts into shingles.
Recognising the first symptoms of shingles is important because a number of complications can occur, such as vision loss. TV doctor Dr Chris Steele revealed on ITV’s This Morning that there are two very early signs of the infection to spot.
The first is a tingling or painful feeling in an area of the skin.
The second early sign is one or two spots.
Dr Chris explained that one of the first cases he saw in A and E when he was a young doctor was a man who came in with chest pain.
He couldn’t see anything but one spot on his chest.
A very experience nurse on the ward then told him to keep the man in the ward over night and told him to revisit him in the morning.
The next day the one spot had erupted into a shingles rash.
When it comes to the shingles rash, Dr Chris said: “The interesting thing is the rash tracks along the body following the nerve fibres and only appears on one side of the body.”
Many people will the shingles rash on their chest or tummy, but it can appear on the face, eyes and genitals.
The NHS says the shingles rash appears as red blotches on your skin, and these can become itchy blisters that ooze fluid.
A few days later the blisters dry out and scab.
If you suspect shingles it’s important to get to your GP as early as possible. If you see your GP within 72 hours of the rash appearing they should be able to give you anti-viral drugs.
There are four complications that can occur from shingles, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If shingles occurs in or around an eye it can cause painful eye infections that may result in vision loss.
Postherpectic neuralgia can occur. This is when shingles pain continues long after the blisters have cleared. This occurs because damaged nerve fibres send confused and exaggerated messages of pain from your skin to your brain.
Depending on which nerves are affected, shingles can lead to neurological problems. inflammation of the brain can be caused as well as facial paralysis or hearing and balance problems.
Skin infections can also happen if shingles blisters aren’t properly treated.
Dr Chris recently revealed the symptoms of an underachieve thyroid to look out for.
