Red bumps that form a line or band are the sign of a condition known as shingles. This is a serious medical condition, which if not treated causes devastating complications. Shingles is a disease that appears most often in adults, specifically in people older than 50.
Causes
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you are infected with chickenpox virus and experience the disease, the virus lays dormant in your nerve cells for years. Years later, due to reasons unknown to medical science, the virus reactivates and causes the condition known as shingles.
Symptoms
Shingles is characterized by bands of red bumps, fever, body aches, fatigue and headaches. The aches in the body are caused by infected nerve endings. The bumps appear a few days after the start of the pain. The bumps tend to be itchy and painful. The bumps can appear anywhere on your body but are common on your legs, torso and near your eyes.
Diagnosis
Your doctor diagnoses shingles by examining your medical history and by examining the blisters on your legs. Samples of the fluid may be taken to confirm the presence of the virus.
Treatment
Mild cases of shingles resolve themselves in a few weeks time. In serious cases, shingles is treated with anti-viral medications such as acyclovir. The pain caused by shingles is managed using narcotics, Tricyclic antidepressants, anti-convulsants and numbing agents. People with shingles should not come into contact with people who have not suffered chickenpox, because infection is possible. Shingles prevention is done through vaccination, using the chicken pox vaccine and the shingles vaccine.
Comlpications
If serious cases of shingles are left untreated, neurological damage can result. Facial paralysis, blindness, encephalitis, skin infections, nerve pain, hearing problems and balance problems are all possible complications. If left untreated, death is possible.
References
- MayoClinic.com:Health: Shingles
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 16th Edition"; Lawrence Madoff, James Macguire, Kenneth Brandt, Bruce Gillaind, Scott Thaier; 2005
- "Control of Communicable Diseases Manual 18th Edition ;" David L. Heymann; 2004
