Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the same virus that causes
chickenpox. The virus can lie dormant in the body for many years
and re-emerge as shingles, usually in a line on one half of the
body. Shingles appear as a painful rash. It consists of red patches
of skin with small blisters (vesicles) that look very similar to
early chickenpox. Shingles usually clears in 2 - 3 weeks. But pain
(post-herpetic neuralgia) may last for months or years.
Review Date: 06/01/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
