Feeling A Little Itchy? 5 Ways In Which Shingles Can Affect Your Body Beyond Skin

Did you know that shingles isn't just a skin issue? It can affect your nerves, heart, gut, eyes, and brain. Read more to know how this virus goes beyond skin deep.

The best defence against shingles is vaccination (Pic credit: Freepik)

Shingles is more than simply a skin condition; especially in older persons, it can affect the nerves, heart, stomach, eyes, and brain, among other parts of the body. The psychological cost of shingles is frequently disregarded. Imagine experiencing overwhelming, depressing, and lonely sensations upon awakening due to abrupt, severe pain and an upsetting rash. Social disengagement and humiliation may result from the obvious sores.

What is Shingles?

A painful rash is caused by the viral virus known as shingles. On your body, shingles can appear anywhere. It usually appears as a single band of blisters around your body, either on the left or right side. Shingles is characterized by pain or a tingling sensation in a limited area on one side of the face or torso, followed by a red rash with small, fluid-filled blisters. 

Dr Rashmi Hedge, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, GSK says, "The best defence against shingles is vaccination. For additional information on preventing shingles, see your doctor and practise prevention."

Lesser-Known Facts About Shingles

Here are 5 lesser-known facts shared by Dr Rashmi about shingles you need to watch out for:

1. Shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in nerves after chickenpox and can reactivate later in life, causing severe nerve pain likened to labour pain.

2. In 10-18% of cases, nerve pain persists after the rash clears, known as PHN, lasting months to years and leading to complications like depression and sleep issues.

3. Studies show a 30% increase in the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease after shingles, with the risk lasting over a decade.

4. Shingles can affect organs like eyes, ears, and brain, leading to permanent hearing or vision loss, and in rare cases, pneumonia or brain inflammation.

5. Contrary to belief, shingles can recur in different body parts even after an initial attack, as shown by a 2023 survey where 73% of patients in India believed otherwise.