Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, a member of the herpes family. When this virus first infects an individual, it results in the chickenpox illness. Once the chickenpox infection clears up, the virus remains dormant in the body for many years before reactivating as shingles, explains MayoClinic.com. Not every chickenpox sufferer will experience shingles. The first stages consist of warning symptoms and pain before developing the shingles rash or blisters.
Prodrome Stage
Prodrome symptoms are warning signs that shingles are about to appear. These last between one and five days before the second stage, or active illness, develops. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that pain is the primary prodrome symptom for shingles. Patients will experience pain wherever the virus has become re-activated. This is often focused to the torso. Pain is described in a variety of ways including sharp, aching, tearing, piercing or similar to an electric shock.
Other abnormal sensations will be felt in the same area as the pain. Some common sensations include itching, numbness or extreme sensitivity to even the slightest touch. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that these symptoms are often felt in combination with pain. When these sensations occur, an individual is likely to realize something is wrong.
Flu-like symptoms can also develop during the prodrome stage of shingles. Common symptoms include muscle aches, headache and fatigue. A fever is possible, but uncommon. MayoClinic.com suggests that some individuals may misattribute these prodrome symptoms as something affecting the heart, lungs or kidneys, due to the location of the pain.
Active Infection Stage
Following the prodrome stage, the individual will develop the characteristic rash. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that between 50 and 60 percent of cases occur on the trunk of the body, which consists of the chest, back and surrounding areas. The rash will likely wrap around one side of the torso, such as beginning on the chest, crossing the breastbone and ending at the spine. Some individuals will experience the rash on one side of the face, on the neck or the lower back. More serious locations include the face, such as by the eye or the mouth. Severe complications, such as cornea damage or blindness, can result from the infection spreading to the eye.
The rash consists of small, red, clear spots, which, over 12 to 24 hours, become fluid-filled blisters. Eventually the blisters merge, get larger and fill with pus. Pain remains present in the affected nerve tissues where the blisters appear, in addition to the blisters itching, feeling tender and oozing.
Healing Stage
About seven to 10 days after the blisters form, they develop a scab and heal. It can take as long as a month before the visible signs of the blisters disappear. In more severe cases, the patient may have lasting blisters and pain symptoms. In about 10 to 20 percent of cases, a patient may develop a complication of shingles called postherpetic neuralgia. This condition is characterized as nerve pain that exists long after the infection began. Patients suffering from this discomfort are treated with pain medications, such as analgesic patches that administer continuous pain relief. The pain from this condition is moderate to severe. It doesn't usually prevent a person from daily living, but can be significantly disruptive.
