You’ve seen the commercials; anyone who has had chickenpox has the shingles virus living dormant in our bodies! Kind of scary right? If it’s anything resembling chickenpox, I certainly don’t want the virus to become active again but is it anything we can control? Not really. The shingles virus can become active when our immune systems are weakened either by stress, disease or aging.
Luckily, you cannot catch shingles from someone who has it, however someone with shingles can spread the virus to those who have not had chickenpox or been given the chickenpox vaccine. Therefore anyone with shingles needs to be mindful of being around babies and children who have not been exposed yet.
You might be getting shingles rather than an “everyday rash” if you have any of these 4 signs of shingles:
- Have an area of skin that burns, itches and tingles
- If you develop a rash and blisters in the same area you’ve been burning and itching
- Experiencing flu-like symptoms
- Have pain in the affected area
The best thing to do if you have some of these signs of shingles is to schedule an appointment with your DermaBlue Dermatology office in Asheville, NC. However, here is a good video on some shingles treatment at home to provide more comfort and healing:
Shingles is definitely no laughing matter. It can take a while to heal but with the proper shingles treatment, the signs of shingles can be somewhat alleviated to make your healing process a little more manageable.
Call DermaBlue Dermatology today if you think you might be contracting the shingles virus, 828.585.5489.
