Shingles: How Your Dermatologist Can Help

When you were a child, you may have had a case of chickenpox, which is a contagious rash that causes red blisters and bumps to appear all over the skin. It is caught by close contact with other infected children. This condition eventually fades away with time and treatment, but it can reappear in adulthood as shingles. Since this is a skin-related issue, shingles can be treated by dermatologists Dr. Scott David, Dr. Mark Pomper, and Jason Staback, PA-C, MS, at Clear Solutions Dermatology Group in Lewes and Newark, DE.

Shingles Symptoms

Shingles is a viral infection that affects the skin and can be very painful for patients. It affects about one million Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mostly adults over the age of 50. Common symptoms include:

• Red skin blisters.
• A rash that runs across either side of the body as well as the face in some cases.
• Pain and itching.
• Skin sensitivity or a feeling of "pins and needles."

What Causes Shingles to Develop?

The virus that causes chickenpox, called varicella-zoster, or VZV, can lie dormant in the body for years. If it is reactivated, it causes shingles in adults. If you had a case of chickenpox as a child, you could be at risk of developing this skin condition. There are several possible reasons why the virus could activate a case of shingles:

• Stress
• Certain medications
• Other medical conditions or diseases.
• A compromised immune system.
• Contact with an infected person (passed through physical contact and sometimes particles in the air).

Dermatological Treatments for Shingles

Shingles rashes cause discomfort and itchiness as well as aesthetic concerns for patients. Treatments are available when you visit a Lewes & Newark, DE, dermatologist for help with shingles, which may include steroid or antibiotic creams to calm symptoms and antiviral medications (like acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir). The goal is to have the blisters “crust over” as soon as possible so that they are no longer contagious and eventually fade away. Shingles can also be prevented before a case develops with a vaccination administered by your doctor.

Seek Help from a Skin Doctor

If you’re currently struggling with shingles rashes, get professional help from Dr. Scott David, Dr. Mark Pomper, Jason Staback, PA-C, MS, and the team at Clear Solutions Dermatology Group in Lewes & Newark, DE. Call (877) 425-7756 today to schedule an examination.