Also called: Also called: Herpes zoster, Postherpetic neuralgia
Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus - the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you have chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. It may not cause problems for many years. As you get older, the virus may reappear as shingles. Unlike chickenpox, you can't catch shingles from someone who has it.
Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain and tingling or itching, usually on one side of the body or face. The pain can be mild to severe. Blisters then form and last from one to 14 days. If shingles appears on your face, it may affect your vision or hearing. The pain of shingles may last for weeks, months or even years after the blisters have healed.
There is no cure for shingles. Early treatment with medicines that fight the virus may help. These medicines may also help prevent lingering pain. A vaccine may prevent shingles or lessen its effects. The vaccine is for people 60 or over.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Shingles(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/shingles/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/shinglesspanish/htm/index.htm
- Shingles(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/shingles/
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Shingles: Hope through Research(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/detail_shingles.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/culebrilla.htm
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Shingles(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/viral/574.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/common/viral/574.printerview.html
- Shingles(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/shingles.htm
- Shingles Disease - Questions and Answers (Herpes Zoster)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/dis-faqs.htm
- CDC Recommends Shingles Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080515.htm
- Shingles Vaccine: What You Need to Know(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-shingles.pdf
- Vaccine Approved for Shingles in Older People(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/506_shingles.html
- Zostavax Questions and Answers(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/Cber/products/zosmer052506qa.htm
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Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (HZO)(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/viral/745.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/infections/common/viral/745.printerview.html
- Herpes Zoster Oticus(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/ramsay2/ramsay2.htm
- Ramsay Hunt Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/ramsay-hunt-syndrome/DS00878/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Shingles (Acute Herpes Zoster) and Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)(Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care) - http://www.stoppain.org/pain_medicine/content/chronicpain/shingles.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.stoppain.org/multimedia/spanish/shingles_span.html
- Shingles (Zoster)(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/zosterShingles.htm
- Shingles(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/shingles/toc.html
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Shingles(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/shingles/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/shinglesspanish/htm/index.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Herpes Zoster(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Herpes+Zoster%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Neuralgia, Postherpetic(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Neuralgia,+Postherpetic%22
- Tai Chi Boosts Immunity to Shingles Virus in Older Adults(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040607.htm
- Article: Therapy for acute retinal necrosis. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18584565&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Overview and diagnosis of acute retinal necrosis syndrome. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18584564&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18528318&tool=MedlinePlus
- Shingles -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=herpes+zoster[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Shingles(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/shingles/toc.html
- Shingles(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/shingles.asp
- Chickenpox - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chickenpox.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
- Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html
- Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Shingles is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Shingles - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/shingles.html