Shingles: recognizing and treating symptoms – the disease is often a warning sign in young people

Created: 02/14/2022, 16:48

By: Laura Wittstruck

Reddish blisters are a typical symptom of shingles.

© Imago

Shingles is a painful skin rash that mostly affects older and weakened people.

But why does it break out and what can you do about it?

Shingles is very uncomfortable for sufferers.

A rash* with blisters that has a stripe or belt shape forms on the skin.

Usually this is limited to one half of the body.

the trigger for the disease is the

so-called

.

Anyone who gets

infected with

The viruses nest in the nerve cells and remain there for a lifetime, usually without the affected person noticing anything. 

With age, however, or when the immune system is weakened, the viruses begin to multiply.

They then get into the skin via the affected nerve.

Shingles then develops in the affected area. 

Shingles is often a warning sign

Even if shingles mostly occurs in older people, the viral infection can also break out in younger people.

This usually means that the body's immune system is temporarily weakened.

Possible reasons for this include:

• stress or trauma

• Various diseases

• UV radiation

• Drugs that weaken the body's natural defenses

Only in very rare cases does a spontaneous outbreak occur without a previous cause.

Even after a corona vaccination*, isolated cases of shingles are said to have occurred – however, the connections have not yet been sufficiently investigated.

Shingles: First symptoms and typical complaints

Even before the typical skin rash breaks out with shingles, those affected feel the first symptoms.

, they feel exhausted and tired, and a

is also possible.

In addition, it tingles or itches slightly on the corresponding skin area,

are also possible.

The disease becomes clear when the typical skin changes appear after a few days:

• First there is a

  slight reddening

  , at the same time small nodules form.

• Shortly thereafter,

  vesicles

  appear, which usually appear in groups.

  Some of them may be filled with blood - this stage can last up to five days.

•  The blisters then burst open and dry up to form

  yellowish crusts

  .

It can take up to four weeks for shingles to fully resolve.

The inflammation usually occurs in the trunk or chest area.

However, other body regions and organs such as the ears can also be affected.

Also read: It is

Therapy for shingles: what helps against the viral infection? 

Patients can take different measures to combat the symptoms associated with shingles.

such as paracetamol

help, for example .

dry out the blisters.

There are also special drugs, so-called

, that prevent the virus from spreading further.

In addition, the blisters usually heal faster with the medication.

It is important that the medication is taken early – preferably no more than 72 hours after the appearance of the skin changes.

The drug is particularly recommended for people over 50, those with a particularly severe course, previous illnesses such as kidney failure or those with a weak immune system.

In younger people with a mild course of the disease, on the other hand, it is often possible to do without antiviral drugs.

Read more:

Shingles: When is vaccination useful?

The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends

vaccination against the disease for everyone

If you have a chronic disease such as diabetes or an immune deficiency, you should be vaccinated from the age of 50.

For this, the patients receive an

, which is administered in two doses at intervals of two to a maximum of six months.

According to current studies, vaccination significantly reduces the risk of contracting shingles.