The disease begins in one of the nerve cell clusters (ganglia) of the spine to where the sensory nerves travel all the way from the skin. It attacks the sensory nerves and the area of the skin that is supplied by that particular nerve (and its branches). The disease can lie latently in the ganglia for a long time and suddenly blaze up, penetrate the nerve cells, and provoke a hectic reddening swelling, a burning sensation, and painful blisters on the skin.
The blisters gradually dry up and are then exfoliated. Even after the blisters have healed, however, strong pains can persist in about 5% of the cases. The pains which (as well as the rash) are almost always unilateral can feel like wearing too tight a belt. This sensation has given name to the disease, as "zoster" means belt in Greek.
If the face is attacked, symptoms can arise from the eyes and ear and perhaps paresis of the facial nerve will occur. Your vision might be threatened if the eye is affected. The rash can sometimes leave scars.
Accordingly, shingles is not a skin disease but a viral infection of a nerve. The disease is most often an indication that the nervous system is worn out and susceptible to infections. It can occur at all ages but is most common in immunosuppressed and elderly individuals and causes symptoms such as tiredness, fever, and indisposition. The suffering is only rarely observed in children. Only rarely will shingles occur twice in the same individual unless you are severely immunosuppressed.
