Internal shingles: What to know about shingles without a rash



Shingles usually causes a painful, blistering rash. It can also cause internal symptoms, appear without a rash, and may spread to internal organs.  
About 1 in 3 people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime
The pain from shingles can vary from mild to severe People may experience sharp, stabbing pains and the affected skin area can feel very tender
In rare cases, the shingles virus can spread to the internal organs and cause inflammation Internal shingles can cause the following complications, depending on the organ it affects:
However, shingles can occur on almost any part of the body, including the face It can also spread to more than one area
Complications from shingles are more likely to occur in older people or people with weakened immune systems The following are possible shingles complications:
Following shingles, some people continue to experience nerve pain and intense itching in the area where the rash was This is known as postherpetic neuralgia PHN It is the most common complication of shingles and develops in around 10–13 percent of people who have had shingles
PHN can persist for months or even years after the other symptoms of shingles have cleared PHN can be severe, and the pain can be constant or intermittent In some people, very light touch or changes in temperature can trigger the pain
If shingles develops on the face, there is a risk of the eyes being affected Potential complications involving the eye include:
The varicella-zoster virus causes shingles, the same virus that is responsible for chickenpox Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles later in life Researchers are not sure why shingles may sometimes appear without a rash
However, the virus can reactivate at any time When this occurs, it multiplies and travels along the nerve fibers to the skin, causing symptoms of shingles
A doctor can usually diagnose shingles based on a history of the symptoms and an examination of the rash In some cases, a skin sample or fluid sample from a blister may be needed
Shingles without a rash is more difficult to diagnose, and doctors need to do extra tests One study found that testing a persons saliva for the virus could diagnose shingles without a rash
People with shingles should keep the rash covered, wear loose-fitting clothes, and avoid scratching or picking the blisters Applying a cool, damp washcloth may help the blisters dry out faster and ease the pain
People cannot catch shingles from another person but it is possible for someone to catch chickenpox from a person with shingles This can only happen if someone has not had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine
The varicella-zoster virus present in shingles blisters can be spread if someone comes into direct contact with the fluid It remains contagious until the last blister has dried up and scabbed over
The risk of spreading the virus is low if the rash is kept covered Individuals with shingles should avoid contact with anyone who has not already had chickenpox This is particularly important in the following cases:
People with shingles should also wash their hands often and avoid swimming, contact sports, and sharing towels If the rash is oozing and cannot be covered, they should also stay home from work or school
Gilden, D, Cohrs, R J, Mahalingam, R, & Nagel, M A 2011, April 14 Neurological disease produced by varicella zoster virus reactivation without rash Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, 342,, 243–253 Retrieved from https://wwwncbinlmnihgov/pmc/articles/PMC3076592/
MLAGill, Stephen Can you have internal shingles without a rash? Medical News Today MediLexicon, Intl, 15 Mar 2018 Web5 Jul 2019 <https://wwwmedicalnewstodaycom/articles/321217php>
APAGill, S 2018, March 15 Can you have internal shingles without a rash? Medical News Today Retrieved fromhttps://wwwmedicalnewstodaycom/articles/321217php
 




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