“Shingles” is the most common name to call a viral infection known as herpes zoster. This infection starts in the skin but also includes the nervous system because it travels to sensory nerves and stays latent for months, years, or a lifetime.
It is an acute disease triggered by a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. In other words, these patients will have a history of varicella infection that healed already and then reactivated into this skin manifestation.
The reason why herpes zoster comes back after months or years is probably due to a problem in the patient’s immune system. The virus detects a chance of replication when the immune system is affected and starts doing so right away. Stress, infections, and certain drugs may induce herpes zoster in patients with previous varicella infection.
Interestingly, most patients with shingles will have a normal immune response. They are not necessarily immunocompromised, and not all of them have chronic diseases or go through immunity challenges. In such cases, the condition probably happens because of a transient drop in antibody titers against the varicella-zoster virus.
Shingles have different forms and manifestations. It is not always the same dermatomal rash. Sometimes we can develop a neurologic disease or a severe ophthalmic condition.
Since there are different manifestations of the disease, this time, we have devoted one article to describing the most common signs and symptoms of shingles. We will also cover some of the rare manifestations of the disease, and a few complications patients can experience during the acute phase.
The following are the most critical symptoms we should look for in patients with shingles: