Is shingles contagious?

Is shingles contagious? That's the first concern to occur in the mind of anybody suffering from this infection. This article gives you detailed information on this topic and also discusses shingles symptoms and treatment.

Dealing with shingles (herpes zoster) may be a tricky business because of the highly contagious nature of this infection. The virus that causes it may be spread through direct contact with the raw blisters or open lesions. People who have suffered from chickenpox early are at maximum risk of suffering from shingles anytime in their life. This is because both conditions are caused by the same virus. Any shingles treatment is usually aimed at reducing the severity and duration of pain. You can take prescription medication such as Valtrex (valacyclovir) or Famvir (famciclovir) to treat shingles. Other common treatment options include steroids or over-the-counter analgesics. 

How can I deal with this contagious infection?
Even if you haven't had chickenpox before, you won't get infected with shingles as long as you don't come in direct skin-to-skin contact with another individual who is under a full-blown viral attack. The virus does not spread to healthy individuals through sneezing or coughing. You must be careful when someone in your family has shingle symptoms. Ask the patient to cover the rashes and blisters so that the infection doesn't spread to others in the household. Talk to your doctor for more tips on prevention of shingles transmission.

Shingles is chickenpox revisited
You are at increased risk of getting infected with shingles when you have had chickenpox before. Weak immune system and heavy stress usually reawaken the varicella zoster virus (VZV) that lies dormant inside the body after causing chickenpox. Put simply, shingles is chickenpox revisited.

What are the common shingles symptoms?
Topical itching on the face, eyes, torso or other parts of the body is often the first tell-tale sign of this condition, followed by fever and headache. You may also experience stomach problems and reduced energy levels just as the symptoms are about to appear. Formation of blisters and rashes in a specific pattern is the most typical symptoms of shingles that help doctors diagnose this infection.

What steps should I take after shingles is diagnosed?
You should seek immediate medical help after being diagnosed with shingles. Quite often the pain remains after the visible symptoms such as rashes and blisters are gone. So it is important to act quickly and report to your doctor any discomfort you might experience.

Complications that may arise without proper treatment include loss of vision, organ failure, pneumonia, hearing difficulties, and encephalitis. As you may understand clearly, some of these complications can be too severe to ignore. 

Antiviral shingles treatment
Shingles treatment with antiviral medicines such as Valtrex and Famvir is usually suppressive and targeted at relieving pain. So you must complete the course of treatment to get the best possible result. For Valtrex, the commonly recommended dosing schedule is 3 pills a day for one week. You must begin the treatment within 72 hours from the onset of symptoms.

Famvir tablets are also considered effective to reduce the severity of shingles symptoms. You need to take Famvir 500mg pills thrice a day for 7 days to get relief from the symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you experience any side effect.

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