Shingles is an illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the virus responsible for chickenpox. Shingles occurs in adults, especially those who had chickenpox as a child, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. The virus lies dormant in the body after the chickenpox outbreak. Later in life it can be reactivated, leading to a painful rash of blisters. Some people experience the pain even after the rash has disappeared, making the illness bothersome and sometimes difficult to live with. Books on shingles offer readers hope in battling the illness as well as medical information about the virus.
"Living with Shingles"
Mary-Ellen Siegel and Gray Williams, authors of "Living with Shingles: New Hope for an Old Disease," thoroughly explain the shingles virus and what life is like with the illness. The shingles rash is thoroughly described, as are the accompanying symptoms of illness. The book discusses the typical illness but also describes complications, such as prolonged pain that may be felt by shingles sufferers. Some of the key contents of the text includes alternative treatment options to counter the pain of the shingles as well as answers to many common questions. One review of the text, by Lisa McCormick of the Jewish Hospital Library, Cincinnati, praises the authors for helping fulfill a gap in references available to patients, but also criticizes for the lack of in depth coverage of the illness. McCormick points out that some of the question and answer information is just a repeat of the general text contents, but points out that the text is still useful as readers do not have many options.
"The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Shingles"
ICON Health Publications has created a comprehensive reference book for patients, parents, caregivers and medical professionals in the text, "The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Shingles." Beginning with scientific support, the text offers a thorough account of shingles, including diagnosis, treatment and living with the illness. Much of the information is based on academic, government and peer-reviewed research that was available at the time of publishing. The book is available in e-book format so users can click through it online instead of having to purchase a hard copy. Some of the highlights of the book include the addition of a highly medical description of the basics of shingles and a technical explanation of the research conducted to further understand the illness. The text is presented in a more formal tone but much of the medical jargon is explained for the reader.
"The Dana Guide to Brain Health"
The Dana Foundation produces information on all things related to brain health. Intense clinical research is conducted at the foundation and is then published in guides, such as, "The Dana Guide to Brain Health." Although shingles is not the main focus of the book, a section of the text is dedicated to shingles and other herpes-zoster induced illnesses. The text is one of the most recently published references on shingles. Some of the information discussed includes the general symptoms and development of the illness but an analysis of the role of the immune system in the development of the illness. One of the more perplexing aspects of shingles is the cause of the viruses reactivation later in life. The Dana Foundation delves into this aspect to discuss immune conditions, such as AIDS, that are often associated with shingles. Of the references available to readers, this text on shingles covers more neurological (brain) topics and contains information that is more recent than most books available.
