Shingles First Aid
Source: Shingles (Herpes Zoster): Fact sheet - Canada.ca
If seeing symptoms, aim to get treatment within 72 hours to reduce severity, symptoms, and long term risks.
Painful skin rash with blisters, usually on one side of body, often in a strip.
Treatment
Section titled “Treatment”Shingles is often treated with antiviral medication to reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms. This medication works best if taken in the first three days after the rash appears. Timely treatment can reduce symptoms and long term risks. A doctor might also prescribe additional medication for pain and swelling.
Reducing Risk
Section titled “Reducing Risk”Reduce risk with vaccination, though people can still get shingles after receiving the varicella vaccine but at much less likelihood. Recommended for people 60 and older unless certain allergies and medication use.
Symptom Details
Section titled “Symptom Details”- Pain, tingling, or itching
- Painful rash of groups of small fluid filled blisters that dry, scab over, and heal
- Anywhere on body, usually in strip on right or left of body
- After heal, may be scars
- Possible secondary infection if bacteria gets into sores
- If closes to eyes, can cause scarring and blindness
- Complications increase with age
Shingles is the name commonly used for herpes zoster and is caused by the varicella zoster virus. The virus which causes chicken pox is always in the body and can be reactivated, often when person’s immune system is weakened.
Risk Factors
Section titled “Risk Factors”People older than 50 and with weakened immune systems.