Causes of Herpes Zoster
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios

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Defined Tag: Herpes Zoster.

Herpes Zoster (or shingles as it is more commonly called) is caused by the virus varicella-zoster. This is the same virus which also causes chickenpox. It is thought by some scientists that two out of every ten people will develop the herpes zoster virus at some point in their life, and it is estimated that this amounts to over 500,000 people at any one time who is suffering from the herpes zoster virus.

Once a person has had an attack of chicken pox, the herpes zoster virus lies dormant within their system (often for many years). As they get older and especially if their immune system is low, they can become prone to a herpes zoster or shingles attack and this can be very painful.

Herpes Zoster is common in the elderly and one of its most distinctive features is it tends to only affect one side of the body. An area becomes painful; it reddens and then forms the herpes zoster (shingles), blisters which crust into scabs.

Some people also complain of a very strong burning and shooting pain with accompanied tingling and itching which is usually located on one side of their body or face.

The rash or blisters so common to shingles/herpes zoster are present on the body from a 1 to 14 days period. They are usually very infectious at the blistery stage and also very painful to touch.

Even though the elderly are more prone to an outbreak of the virus, anyone is at risk especially if they have had chickenpox at any time.

People, who have a low immune system, are HIV positive or those undergoing chemotherapy and any form of radiation or other treatments may also find themselves at risk of developing a herpes zoster infection.

An unfortunate side effect from the virus is even once the skin has healed and the scabs and blisters dried up, the pain can continue for a long period of time. This is known as post herpetic neuralgia pain.

It's important that a person suffering from the herpes zoster virus is seen by a doctor.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.

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