Shingles on the scalp: Pictures, symptoms, and more

Shingles is a viral infection that appears as painful rashes anywhere on the body, including the scalp. The same virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus, is also responsible for causing shingles.

Approximately 1 out of 3 people in the United States develop shingles during their lifetime. Shingles mostly affects the chest or torso but can appear anywhere on the body.

As the rash progresses, blistering can occur. People may experience other symptoms accompanying the rash, such as burning, tingling, and fatigue. Early diagnosis means a doctor can prescribe antivirals and certain medications to help manage symptoms.

This article will discuss what shingles on the scalp looks like, other symptoms it can cause, and how to prevent it.

Typically infection with shingles leads to a rash. It goes through three stages and the scalp may look different.

Pre-eruptive stage

No rash is visible yet. Before the appearance of the rash on the scalp, many people experience tingling, redness, or pain in the area.

Eruptive stage

The skin develops reddish patches with some bumps appearing, but this stage is brief. Eventually, small blisters appear within hours or days.

The blisters generally cluster together, and the rash appears as bands across the affected area.

After a few days, the blisters dry up, leading to the formation of yellowish scabs. Scratching the scalp can cause the blisters to burst, and a person may be more susceptible to bacterial infections or scarring.

Shingles appears differently on different skin tones. Typically, it appears red on lighter skin, purple on dark brown skin, or even grayish on darker skin.

For most people, shingles lasts for about 3 to 5 weeks.

Post-eruptive stage

In some people, even after the rash disappears, the pain remains. It can lead to a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

PHN can last for weeks, months, or even years and mostly occurs in older people.

Pictures

The most common symptom of shingles is painful, blistering rashes. Other symptoms that accompany the rash include:

• burning
• tingling
• itching
• fever
• fatigue
• headaches
• swelling

Learn more about the symptoms of the early stages of shingles.

Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus causes shingles.

When the varicella-zoster virus first infects someone, it leads to a chickenpox infection. Once the infection resolves, the virus can remain undetectable and dormant in the body.

However, a weakening of the immune system can result in the reactivation of the virus, which can move and infect the skin again, only causing shingles this time.

Certain risk factors can increase a person’s chances of experiencing shingles, for example:

• having advanced age, the risk of getting shingles is most common among people aged 50 years or older
• having a weakened immune system as a result of the following:
  • HIV
  • certain cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia
  • taking certain medications, such as steroids or immunosuppressants

Doctors diagnose shingles mostly by a visual assessment. This is because the typical rash and accompanying pain is the main sign of shingles.

Doctors also take a medical history and enquire about other symptoms a person may be experiencing.

Laboratory testing can help confirm the diagnosis. Taking a sample of the affected area — for example, by scraping some fluid from the blisters — can help a doctor determine if the varicella-zoster infection is present. Bloodwork may also be beneficial for detecting the infection.

There is currently no cure for shingles. However, early treatment with antiviral medications can speed up healing and relieve severe pain.

Medications

A few medications that might be useful against shingles include:

• antiviral medications, such as valacyclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir), and acyclovir (Zovirax)
• pain relief and fever-reducing medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• topical lidocaine to numb the skin and prevent pain
• nerve pain medications, such as gabapentin, can reduce pain, in some people
• corticosteroids for reducing inflammation

Other approaches

Some alternative approaches that can help people feel better are:

• applying a cool washcloth over the affected area of the scalp
• applying calamine lotion to soothe the scalp
• using a mild, fragrance-free shampoo
• avoiding scratching the scalp
• taking a bath with lukewarm water
• getting plenty of rest
• eating a healthy diet
• avoiding stress

It is important to cover blisters, as the fluid within them contains the live varicella-zoster virus. If a person has never had chickenpox or shingles and encounters blister fluid, they may contract the virus.

However, they are likely to develop chickenpox rather than shingles.

Learn more about how to cover the rash.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends those over the age of 50 and those over the age of 19 with weakened immunity take the Shingrix vaccine. This course involves two doses.

The vaccine is approximately 90% effective in preventing shingles and PHN.

Learn more about some measures a person can take to prevent the spread of shingles.

Shingles is a skin condition that leads to the development of painful, blistering rashes anywhere on the body, including the scalp. People experiencing symptoms should consult a doctor, who may prescribe antivirals to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of symptoms.

In most people, shingles do not last for more than 5 weeks. Several other treatment options are available that can reduce shingles-associated pain.

People with weakened immune systems or those above 50 years of age should consider taking the Shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles and any complications of the condition.

Shingles on the scalp: Pictures, symptoms, and more

Shingles is a viral infection that appears as painful rashes anywhere on the body, including the scalp. The same virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus, is also responsible for causing shingles.

Approximately 1 out of 3 people in the United States develop shingles during their lifetime. Shingles mostly affects the chest or torso but can appear anywhere on the body.

As the rash progresses, blistering can occur. People may experience other symptoms accompanying the rash, such as burning, tingling, and fatigue. Early diagnosis means a doctor can prescribe antivirals and certain medications to help manage symptoms.

This article will discuss what shingles on the scalp looks like, other symptoms it can cause, and how to prevent it.

Typically infection with shingles leads to a rash. It goes through three stages and the scalp may look different.

Pre-eruptive stage

No rash is visible yet. Before the appearance of the rash on the scalp, many people experience tingling, redness, or pain in the area.

Eruptive stage

The skin develops reddish patches with some bumps appearing, but this stage is brief. Eventually, small blisters appear within hours or days.

The blisters generally cluster together, and the rash appears as bands across the affected area.

After a few days, the blisters dry up, leading to the formation of yellowish scabs. Scratching the scalp can cause the blisters to burst, and a person may be more susceptible to bacterial infections or scarring.

Shingles appears differently on different skin tones. Typically, it appears red on lighter skin, purple on dark brown skin, or even grayish on darker skin.

For most people, shingles lasts for about 3 to 5 weeks.

Post-eruptive stage

In some people, even after the rash disappears, the pain remains. It can lead to a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

PHN can last for weeks, months, or even years and mostly occurs in older people.

Pictures

The most common symptom of shingles is painful, blistering rashes. Other symptoms that accompany the rash include:

• burning
• tingling
• itching
• fever
• fatigue
• headaches
• swelling

Learn more about the symptoms of the early stages of shingles.

Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus causes shingles.

When the varicella-zoster virus first infects someone, it leads to a chickenpox infection. Once the infection resolves, the virus can remain undetectable and dormant in the body.

However, a weakening of the immune system can result in the reactivation of the virus, which can move and infect the skin again, only causing shingles this time.

Certain risk factors can increase a person’s chances of experiencing shingles, for example:

• having advanced age, the risk of getting shingles is most common among people aged 50 years or older
• having a weakened immune system as a result of the following:
  • HIV
  • certain cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia
  • taking certain medications, such as steroids or immunosuppressants

Doctors diagnose shingles mostly by a visual assessment. This is because the typical rash and accompanying pain is the main sign of shingles.

Doctors also take a medical history and enquire about other symptoms a person may be experiencing.

Laboratory testing can help confirm the diagnosis. Taking a sample of the affected area — for example, by scraping some fluid from the blisters — can help a doctor determine if the varicella-zoster infection is present. Bloodwork may also be beneficial for detecting the infection.

There is currently no cure for shingles. However, early treatment with antiviral medications can speed up healing and relieve severe pain.

Medications

A few medications that might be useful against shingles include:

• antiviral medications, such as valacyclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir), and acyclovir (Zovirax)
• pain relief and fever-reducing medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• topical lidocaine to numb the skin and prevent pain
• nerve pain medications, such as gabapentin, can reduce pain, in some people
• corticosteroids for reducing inflammation

Other approaches

Some alternative approaches that can help people feel better are:

• applying a cool washcloth over the affected area of the scalp
• applying calamine lotion to soothe the scalp
• using a mild, fragrance-free shampoo
• avoiding scratching the scalp
• taking a bath with lukewarm water
• getting plenty of rest
• eating a healthy diet
• avoiding stress

It is important to cover blisters, as the fluid within them contains the live varicella-zoster virus. If a person has never had chickenpox or shingles and encounters blister fluid, they may contract the virus.

However, they are likely to develop chickenpox rather than shingles.

Learn more about how to cover the rash.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends those over the age of 50 and those over the age of 19 with weakened immunity take the Shingrix vaccine. This course involves two doses.

The vaccine is approximately 90% effective in preventing shingles and PHN.

Learn more about some measures a person can take to prevent the spread of shingles.

Shingles is a skin condition that leads to the development of painful, blistering rashes anywhere on the body, including the scalp. People experiencing symptoms should consult a doctor, who may prescribe antivirals to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of symptoms.

In most people, shingles do not last for more than 5 weeks. Several other treatment options are available that can reduce shingles-associated pain.

People with weakened immune systems or those above 50 years of age should consider taking the Shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles and any complications of the condition.

Shingles: photo, symptoms, treatment

What is shingles and ways of infection

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral disease that manifests itself in the form of painful skin rashes on the trunk, face, head, arms and legs. Eruptions on the trunk (chest, abdomen and pelvis) appear in 90% of cases.

The disease is caused by the Herpes Zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. In 80% of people, infection with the virus occurs at a young age. A person falls ill with “chickenpox”, and after the cure, the virus lingers in the body and penetrates the nerve cells, where it remains in a “dormant” state.

Despite the fact that the body develops immunity to the virus, when the immune system is weakened, it can become more active and manifest itself as shingles. Therefore, chickenpox and shingles are two stages of the same disease. Chickenpox manifests itself when the virus is first infected, and shingles occurs due to reactivation of the infection. Here are the reasons for the recurrence of the virus:

• chronic stress
• malnutrition and vitamin deficiency
• overwork and lack of sleep
• malignant tumors
• HIV infection
• condition after organ transplant
• taking drugs that reduce immunity: glucocorticoids, chemotherapy drugs;
• frequent SARS;
• previous radiation therapy

A feature of the Herpes Zoster virus is its extreme virulence, or contagiousness. Infection occurs in 100% of cases when the virus enters the body if there is no immunity to it. To become infected, household contact with a sick person is enough – the infection is transmitted by airborne droplets.

What does shingles look like, symptoms and diagnosis of shingles

Below are photographs of typical herpetic eruptions: and, chills, fever up to 38 degrees, indigestion. Since the virus nests in nerve cells, the rashes occur along the line of the nerve trunks and are manifested by unilateral lesions.

Activated viruses rush from the nerve nodes to the outer integument of the body – the skin. After a day or two, spots similar to skin edema appear on the skin in places where viruses accumulate. On the 3-4th day, rashes form on the spots in the form of severely painful transparent blisters. In more than half of the cases, rashes are accompanied by an increase in the lymph nodes on the body, sometimes with lymphadenitis. After a week, the bubbles dry up and form a crust. The period of “malaise – disappearance of crusts – disappearance of pain and complete normalization of the condition” lasts 20-30 days, but in rare cases, clinical manifestations disappear in 10-12 days.

The described clinical picture is typical for 90% of cases of herpes zoster. In other patients, the disease proceeds atypically and manifests itself in the form of:

• muscle weakness
• appearance of blood in vesicles
• one large blister on the body instead of a rash of numerous vesicles
• no rashes
• skin lesions near the eyes, inflammation of the cornea up to loss of vision in this eye (ocular form). Eye involvement is often accompanied by inflammation of the facial or trigeminal nerve and even paralysis on one side of the face
• severe pain in the ear canal up to hearing loss in one ear (ear form)
• lesions of the meninges (meningoencephalic form) and brain tissue, which manifests itself in the form of hallucinations, ataxia, paralysis and in more than 50% of cases leads to death
• necrosis (necrosis) of tissues at the site of rashes with the formation of numerous scars on the skin. Common in immunocompromised patients.

Complications of herpes zoster should be feared, which occur no more than in 5% of cases. Complications include:

• post-herpetic neuralgia – persistence of pain for several months after complete disappearance of lesions
• transverse myelitis – partial or complete motor paralysis
• viral pneumonia
• hepatitis
• glomerulonephritis, etc.

In the presence of typical rashes, the diagnosis of herpes zoster is not a problem for a dermatovenereologist, infectious disease specialist or immunologist, but early diagnosis is difficult due to the fact that the first manifestations of the disease are disguised as influenza or a cold.

Atypical cases of the disease are dangerous due to late diagnosis and late initiation of treatment. In such cases, laboratory studies are needed: microscopy, serology, immunofluorescent analysis and hybridization. The most accurate result is given by the analysis of fluid from bubble eruptions.

Shingles treatment

Typical shingles resolves on its own unless complications occur. But in 70% of cases, treatment is required, which is prescribed by a doctor. Treatment is aimed at reducing itching and pain at the site of the rash, as well as speeding up recovery and preventing complications.

• Pain relief. For this purpose, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol and Lidocaine ointment are used. With intense pain, Ketoprofen and even narcotic analgesics – Galapentin and Oxycodone will be prescribed.
• Acceleration of recovery and prevention of complications are achieved with the help of antiviral drugs – Acyclovir, Famciclovir and Valaciclovir, ointments with antiviral drugs. In case of severe illness or in case of complications, hospitalization and intensive treatment will be required.

In an uncomplicated course, you can use traditional medicine:

• wipe the rashes in the morning and evening with a decoction of immortelle grass. You will need to pour a tablespoon of grass with a glass of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour.
• to strengthen the immune system with tincture of willow bark: brew a spoonful of willow bark with a glass of boiling water. Insist and drink 50 ml 3 times a day.
• to reduce the activity of the virus tincture of wormwood. Pour 2 tablespoons of raw materials with a glass of vodka or diluted alcohol, insist and make lotions on the rash for 15 minutes. For the same purpose, you can use an infusion of burdock: insist a tablespoon of leaves with a glass of boiling water for 2 hours. Drink an infusion of 50 ml 2 times a day.
• lubricate the affected areas with a mixture of soda and salt in equal proportions, diluted in water.

Prevention of shingles

The only way to prevent the disease is the varicella vaccine. If infection cannot be avoided, the virus cannot be eradicated from the body. The task is to prevent the virus from reactivating and causing repeated symptoms of shingles. To do this, you need to support immunity with:

• vitamins A, C, E and P
• healthy lifestyle
• avoiding stress, exhaustion, overload and lack of sleep
• treatment of somatic diseases

Which doctor to contact for treatment of herpes zoster

If the rash is accompanied by intense pain, does not go away within 2 weeks, or is complicated by postherpetic neuralgia, myalgia, etc., consult a dermatovenereologist or an infectious disease specialist. Contact the doctors of the Botkin.pro medical video consultation service. See how our doctors answer patients’ questions. Ask a question to the service doctors for free, without leaving this page, or here. Consult with your favorite doctor.

Questions from patients – answers from Botkin.pro doctors online:

• What does shingles look like?

  I have had a rash on the side of my stomach for 2 weeks. They don’t hurt, but they itch. I think it’s nerves, but my wife said it was shingles. Now I have become afraid. I want to find out from a specialist what shingles looks like, because my wife claims that this is herpes – a serious matter and is treated poorly

  Hello. It is desirable for you to address to the dermatologist and the neuropathologist.

  Herpes zoster, or herpes zoster, looks like itchy crayon bubbles with transparent contents, the bubbles can merge with each other. Without treatment, these blisters go away on their own after a few weeks, leaving small erosions or sores that also go away with time. A complication may develop – postherpes neuralgia, which is treated for a long time and is not easy. I recommend contacting a neurologist.

  Good evening, in order to know exactly what is herpetic gangionitis – turn to a neurologist or a dermatologist, so that you can live in peace.

• How contagious is shingles?

  Good afternoon. The situation is as follows – a relative was diagnosed with shingles, and I have 2 children at home – 2 years old and 15 days younger. She contacted them, took them in her arms. The question is – is it dangerous, with whom is it better to consult? Now the lichen has appeared visually

  Good afternoon. Shingles is contagious only when fresh blisters appear. In children who have been in contact with the patient, chickenpox develops, provided that this disease did not exist before. The incubation period for chickenpox is 1-3 weeks. Supervise the children during this time. If the youngest child is breastfed, the chance of infection is small.

• Shingles

  Hello, my father, he is 62 years old, has shingles for the third week, what drugs can be taken and how to lubricate externally, he did not take anything, he only lubricated with brilliant green and herpevir ointment. Outside a little passes, but inside the pain is felt.

  Hello. In addition to acyclovir (Gerpevir, Valaciclovir) at a dose of 400 or 700 mg, it is necessary to take the drug Lyrica or Neogabin to relieve pain, as well as Caiver 1 t in the evening – 10 days

• Shingles

  Hello. Eruptions on the forehead and slightly to the right. Severe swelling on the face. Forehead, eyes, under the eyes, on both sides. It is very scary that the swelling. Treatment – only pills for 7 days. Is it normal for a rash to be accompanied by swelling? Thank you.

  Yes, facial swelling can be very severe, continue treatment.

• Fever on the head and on the cheek

  My husband’s head began to hurt, then plaques and pimples appeared. Then something like a fever popped up on her cheek. For a long time it was once on the cheek and this happens all the time in the wind on the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. But for the first time! Can you tell me if it’s contagious? What is the fastest way to heal? And how to protect yourself? Are we going to the sea? Thank you!

  If the changes are on one side, then it may well be shingles. Sign up for a video consultation, I will look at this fever and give recommendations.

Doctors have found that shingles increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30% – Gazeta.Ru

Doctors have found that shingles increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30% – Gazeta.Ru | News

November 25, 2022, 19:00

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Scientists at Harvard Medical School found that herpes zoster (shingles) can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications by 30%, which persists for 12 years or more after the onset of shingles. Results published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

After a person gets chickenpox, the virus remains in their body for the rest of their lives. Years and even decades later, the virus can reactivate in the form of shingles, which occurs in 1 and 3 people. Shingles often causes a painful rash and can appear anywhere on the head or body.

More than 200,000 people in the United States took part in the study. Participants had no prior history of stroke or coronary heart disease. Patients completed questionnaires every two years. The study lasted 16 years.

The results showed that people who had previously developed herpes zoster had a 30% higher long-term risk of serious cardiovascular events compared with those who did not have herpes zoster. The increased risk may persist for 12 years or more after having shingles.

The varicella-zoster virus has previously been found in large and small blood vessels. Its presence is thought to cause inflammation over time, as well as chronic vascular changes that may increase the risk of clogged blood vessels.

As the population ages and the number of people who are immunosuppressed due to illness or taking immunosuppressive drugs after an organ transplant increases, so does the global incidence of herpes zoster. A vaccine for it is already available and offers a valuable opportunity to reduce the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events.

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