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What do Shingles Look and Feel Like

Sonni57 | Feb 22, 2011 |

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Shingles Blisters

What do shingles look and feel like? This is a question that many people want the answer to, especially if they're concerned that they may have shingles. Shingles aren't really sores but blisters, however, they start out as red itchy patches that may resemble a sore or welt. After a day or so these red itchy patches develop into blisters. At this time they are in a contagious state, so they should not be touched by yourself or anyone else without gloves. If you touch the blisters and then touch other parts of the body you can spread them and trust me you don't want to spread them. However, once blisters scab up they are no longer contagious.

The blisters are full of liquid just like a blister from a burn or blisters that get on the feet from shoes rubbing against skin. Shingle blisters burn and are painful and they also itch really badly at times, so they're not easy to deal with. Anyone can get shingles they are not sores that only the elderly get or dirty people or whatever. Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, is a virus that lies dormant in the body of those who have had chicken pox. You can also get shingles by contact when they are in a contagious state and finally they can be passed on in the family from generation to generation.

I had my first shingle breakout in my early 20's, so for over 30 years I have had to manage herpes zoster. By the way, you can manage them and prevent shingles breakouts when you know how. My mother also has shingles and I am not sure if they were passed on to me from her or because I had chicken pox at the age of 8. It doesn't really matter how I got them what matters is that I know how to manage and treat them. However, it took a while, since at first I didn't know what shingles breakouts were. I was in my 40's before I knew it was herpes zoster.

Shingles Triggers

I still get shingles blisters from time to time even with all I know about preventing and treating them. This is because they are a virus and there are things that trigger shingles breakouts. One of the primary reasons for a breakout is the immune system getting weak. A weak immune system is why it is common for the elderly to have shingles. Therefore, it is imperative when you carry the shingles virus to stay healthy and keep the immune system strong. The way we do this is to eat healthy, exercise and shy away from addictive substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Staying healthy is your best defense when it comes to shingles.

Not only do you need to stay healthy in your body, but in mind as well. Stress and depression can cause a shingles breakout, so it's important to avoid stress triggers. The more anxious and upset you get the more likely shingles blisters will erupt understand that a calm state of mind helps to control and prevent shingles breakouts. To do this we, on purpose, avoid people and situations that tend to make us angry or anxious.

There are also foods that trigger shingles breakouts. Cutting back on sugar is a good start as well as foods that contain Arginine such as peanuts, raisins, seeds, almonds and chocolate. You will need to be the judge when it comes to how much your system can or cannot tolerate. Coffee is also a trigger, due to the caffeine and you may need to switch to decaf like I did or not drink it at all. Of course, there is nothing stopping you, so you can choose to throw caution to the wind and deal with more shingles breakouts.

Shingles Treatments at Home

Shingles treatment at home is simple and not that expensive or time consuming. One of the easiest is consumption of an amino acid called Lysine that helps prevent shingles breakouts. We can get Lysine by eating it in foods or taking it as a supplement. Foods that contain Lysine are cheese, milk, eggs and legumes to name a few or take a supplement of 1,000 milligrams daily.

Treatment for shingles also includes managing those painful shingles blisters. Shingles pain is more painful in some people than others and much of this is due to various levels of pain tolerance. There is also the issue that shingles breakouts are worse in some people than others. The location or area of the breakout is another factor that comes into play. The most common areas of shingles breakouts are the back, buttocks and waist or to sum up, the torso.

Do not scratch or itch shingles blisters skin on skin, but use gloves or other covering. One of the best shingles remedies is plain old calamine lotion applied with cotton ball or Q-tip. The goal is to dry up the blisters, once you do that the pain will subside considerably. I scrub mine, but don't recommend this to those with a low pain tolerance. I find scrubbing them with soap and water dries them up faster and is why I do it. It hurts, but it's worth it to me to end it sooner.

When shingles blisters have a burning sensation it's okay to ice them as this also gives pain relief. Sometimes oral medication may be needed for a short period or the use of a Lidoderm patch. In severe cases invasive procedures like nerve blocks is used for shingles pain relief.

Now you should no longer need to wonder or ask what do shingles look and feel like.

Articles of interest:

Ways to Prevent Shingles Breakouts

Shingles and Chicken Pox in Adults