Herpes Zoster Research Paper

Herpes Zoster, otherwise known as shingles, is a very painful rash on the skin that is caused by varicella zoster virus. Herpes Zoster is very common, about 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will contract shingles during their lifetime, and there is estimated about 1 million cases of shingles reported every year in the U.S. Any person of any age can develop shingles, but the chance of developing shingles increases as you get older and your immune system becomes weaker
Herpes Zoster is caused by varicella zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. When a person gets chicken pox and recovers from it, the virus does not go away, it remains in the body, but becomes dormant (inactive). Later in life, the virus can reactivate itself causing herpes zoster. Herpes zoster itself cannot be spread from person to person, but the varicella zoster virus can be spread from one person with active shingles to another person who has never had chicken pox. That
They usually start to feel pain, itching, or tingling in the area that the rash is going to form itself. The rash is fluid filled blisters that usually form in a band, strip, or a small area. The blisters eventually crust over within 7 to 10 days, but it takes about 2 to 4 weeks for them to completely heal. This rash may leave scars.
Although shingles normally go away, for some people it can cause serious complications. One of the complications of shingles are post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). This is when people still experience severe pain in the area where the rash was after it has cleared up. Post-heretic neuralgia can be extremely painful, but usually goes away within a few months, but for some people it can last years. The older one is, the more likely they are to develop PHN. Other complications such as pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, encephalitis, or death are possible, but are very