Introduction
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is also responsible for chickenpox in children. If shingles develops, this means that the pathogen has been reactivated. The virus remains in the patient for the rest of his or her life after initial infestation.
A new outbreak can occur as a result of various situations, such as stress or a weakened immune system. Since the viruses move along nerve tracts, the rash in shingles occurs only to a limited extent in the area supplied by the affected nerve. Shingles is associated with pain and a rash.
Duration of the disease
Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which remains in the body for life. As a result of a previous chickenpox infection in childhood, the viruses accumulate in nerve nodes and, if there is a repeated outbreak, attack the supply area of the corresponding nerve. The following symptoms are pain, sensation and an impressive skin rash, which is normally restricted to the area supplied by the nerve.
After activation of the viruses, pain and discomfort in the nerve supply area occurs after a short time. The exanthema (skin rash) usually takes a few days to appear. This period is called the prodromal phase and usually lasts 3 to 5 days.
After this initial phase, if pain persists, group-like vesicle formations form. This process takes place within approximately one day. The vesicles fill with a clear liquid for 2 to 3 days and finally fuse into large bubbles.
Once the final blister size has formed, the contents of the blisters cloud over. As lymph enters, the blisters burst and dry out over the following 7 to 12 days. Under the formation of a yellowish crust, an existing shingles heals over two to three weeks in people with a functioning immune system.
Patients whose immune system is weakened often have to fight shingles for longer. The rash forms again and again and the disease cycle repeats itself – for up to several months. Since the immune system is weakened during the disease, one should avoid any stress of it.
You can find out whether you can drink alcohol during the drug therapy of shingles on our website: Zostex and alcohol – is it compatible? The aim of the therapy of shingles is to inhibit the multiplication of the varicella zoster virus, this is called antiviral therapy. In addition, an attempt is made to dry out the resulting blisters as quickly as possible with zinc ointment.
If this therapy scheme is started as early as possible, the disease can heal within two to three weeks and there is only a low risk of developing complications and late effects. However, if shingles is not treated adequately, the course of the disease can be significantly prolonged and there is an increased risk of developing late complications such as post-zoster neuralgia, i.e. permanent nerve pain after the disease has subsided. This is mainly due to the fact that without antiviral medication, the viruses can multiply for longer until the immune system can effectively fight them.
In addition, the blisters take much longer to heal, as they are not dried out by special ointments. Without therapy, one can therefore expect a duration of four to five weeks, which is associated with an increased risk of developing complications. Thus, in the presence of shingles, an attempt should always be made to initiate an adequate therapy as quickly as possible.
In principle, shingles can occur several times in the course of a lifetime because the viruses causing it remain in the body. However, a multiple outbreak is relatively rare. As a rule, only a second outbreak occurs in the presence of various risk factors, such as an immune deficiency or a lot of stress. If no immunodeficiency is known and there have been several outbreaks of shingles, the presence of an immunodeficiency should be considered and an appropriate diagnosis made.
