Shingles

Shingles is an acute virus infection of the sensory nerves, which results in a painful rash of small blisters that typically appear in a band on the chest and back on one side of the body. Known medically as herpes zoster, shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which lies dormant in the spinal cord after a chickenpox infection. If the immune system becomes suppressed for any reason (for example, when the patient is feeling run down), the virus may become reactivated, causing shingles. Herpes zoster sufferers may transmit the virus to others, leading to chickenpox in those people who are not yet immune to this virus.

In this section, you'll find a guide to the causes and symptoms of shingles, along with some advice on how it may be diagnosed and treated.