What are Shingles?

What are Shingles?

You can think of shingles as a one-two punch of infections. Anyone who gets it had a case of chickenpox first, often decades earlier.

These two conditions come from the same virus, called varicella zoster.

Chickenpox causes itchy blisters that might start on your back, chest, and face and spread to the rest of your body. Shingles is a rash with shooting pain. It usually shows up on one side of your body.

The rash turns into red, fluid-filled blisters. They usually dry out and crust over within 7 to 10 days.

The early signs of shingles include:

- Enlarged lymph nodes

- Fever, chills, and headache

- Itching

- Raised dots on your skin and redness in that area

- Stabbing or shooting pain

- Tingling or burning feeling in or under your skin

- Upset stomach

Call your doctor quickly if you have any of these signs. There’s no cure for shingles. But tre