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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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Skin Care and Diseases |
Information about shingles11/25/2000 |
Why does the skin rash "shingles" appear on the stomach for no apparant reason?
"Shingles" is the common name for the disorder herpes zoster. Shingles are caused by a virus, the virus that causes chicken pox. When we are small and are exposed to the virus, we get typical chicken pox with itchy blisters scattered over the entire body. At that time, the virus gets into the spinal cord and apparently stays there for the rest of the person`s life. Later the virus can be reactivated. The second episode of infection is herpes zoster or shingles. The virus can remain in any nerve. When it is activated, it will travel down just one nerve. So shingles can affect the skin of the scalp, the face, neck, trunk or extremities. It produces blisters and these have very specific features. They will be on one side of the body only and will affect just one band on the skin. This band is called a dermatome and corresponds to one nerve. Shingles or herpes zoster occurs just once (except in very rare and unusual situations when it can occur twice). It is painful and often leaves significant scars. The pain can persist for weeks, months or rarely even years after the infection has healed. There are excellent antiviral medications that can minimize shingles but these must be started early, within 1-3 days after the virus is reactivated. You might check with you doctor or dermatologist to be sure that you have or had shingles.
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James J Nordlund, MD Professor Department of Dermatology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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