10 Shingles Symptoms
Article Sources
- 1. Shingles (Herpes Zoster). National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Viral Diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html
- 2. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (HIS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition (ICHD-3) – www.ichd-3.org
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. When a person becomes infected with VZV for the first time, it causes chickenpox. After the patient recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nerves of the individual. The virus can remain hidden for years and even decades without causing any symptoms whatsoever, until the person’s Immune system becomes impaired, and the virus reactivates causing the condition known as herpes zoster or shingles.
Over a million cases of shingles occur each year in the US. 1Shingles (Herpes Zoster). National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Division of Viral Diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html Any person with a history of chickenpox or varicella immunizations can develop shingles, but people with a compromised immune system have a higher risk. Even though cancer patients and people with HIV have a greater risk, the elderly are also quite susceptible to this disease.
