Shingles is a skin disease that causes pain, raised bumps, itching and rashes on the skin. Its medical name is "Herpes Zoster".
Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a disease caused by the varicella zoster virus that occurs in people who have previously had chickenpox, and is characterised by painful fluid-filled blisters on the skin on one side of the body. In Turkish it is also popularly known as "belt disease" or "night burn".

It is popularly known as "night burn". In shingles, the rash affects a particular area and takes the form of blisters that together create a belt- or band-like appearance, first filling with fluid and then crusting over.

It is a painful skin disease with burning and redness on any area of the body or on one side of the face. The lesions form as small, fluid-filled blisters. It is a type of inflammation caused by the virus that causes chickenpox. In people who have had chickenpox, the virus can hide among nerve cells for years and re-emerge at a time when the body is weakened. The natural course of the disease cannot be controlled with medical treatment. However, wet, cool compresses can bring the patient relief. Antiviral medication may be recommended.

A person with shingles can pass chickenpox to someone else (usually children), but cannot pass on shingles. This is because shingles originates from the virus already residing in the body; it is not caused by an airborne virus.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis is usually easy because of the pain that accompanies the skin symptoms. In special cases, expensive methods are used to detect the virus. Identification of certain cells in the fluid of the blisters under the microscope supports the diagnosis.

Shingles heals on its own within a few weeks. Painkillers and wet dressings are generally used to relieve the patient. Wet dressings help the blisters dry out quickly. Using systemic antiviral drugs (aciclovir, famciclovir or valaciclovir) within the first 72 hours shortens the duration of the rash and pain. In addition, vitamins B1–B6, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines for itching and topical antiseptic anaesthetic creams and solutions are used. In shingles affecting the eye, eye ointments are applied.

Although rare, a patient who has previously had shingles can develop the disease again when faced with a condition that severely lowers their resistance.

Causes of Shingles
If a person has had chickenpox, the virus mentioned above has settled in certain nerves in the body. This virus, which causes chickenpox and later shingles, can remain dormant in the body for years without causing any problems. Shingles occurs when, many years after chickenpox, the virus becomes active again in the nerves.

Causes or triggers of shingles

* Having had chickenpox
* A weakened immune system due to causes such as fatigue, illness and unnecessary use of medication
* Being over 50 years of age
* Depression
* Stress and trauma
Does Shingles Recur?

There is no rule that the virus will become active every time the immune system is weakened. Moreover, not everyone who has had chickenpox develops shingles. In most patients, only a single attack of shingles occurs in a lifetime after chickenpox. Shingles is considered a non-recurring disease, but there are rare patients in whom the disease appears again and again.