Herpes zoster (Shingles) is a strange virus because it stems from a very common childhood disease and the early shingles symptoms can be misread. Shingles is actually a spin off of the chicken pox virus. If you had chicken pox in childhood, or at any other time in your life, you can develop shingles later on in adulthood. The initial chicken pox virus runs its course in your body and instead of going away; it hides away on your nerve endings. There are no further signs that it is there and goes undetected.

Shingles silently waits for a time, many years later, when your immune system is compromised and your body is weakened by stress or other illnesses. Then is when the early shingles symptoms show themselves. The early symptoms of Shingles sometimes make it difficult to diagnose because they are similar to many other things and you may even dismiss the minor aches and pains as the start of a cold or flu. Even the best of doctors may not be able to differentiate Shingles from a common allergic reaction because so many of the symptoms are alike. It is not unusual for a patient to come in very concerned about the early symptoms of Shingles only to be sent home without a definitive diagnosis in the early days of the virus.

Shingles is often thought of as occurring on the trunk of your body near your belt line. However it can appear any place on your body from your legs to your face. The shingles virus is most likely to show up on one side or the other of your body no matter what body part it attacks. Once you have the rash it will become obvious that something is wrong.

Early Shingles Symptoms Include Itching And Burning

The early shingles symptoms are often a tingling sensation just under the skin. Then your skin starts to feel itchy and irritated. Your first indication might be the sudden desire to scratch that area of your body. The itching may persist for a couple days. A continued burning or even painful sensation of the skin in that area might follow this scratchy sensation. A few days later you will notice a blistery rash that follows these early warning signs. Even with treatment one of the painful shingles facts is that the symptoms can persist for months or even years after the first flair up with Shingles.

During the height of the virus it can disrupt your life by losing sleep and you may feel uncomfortable going out into the public if the rash is on your neck or face. Most people are unaware of Shingles and do not know the effects of the virus, but when a family member or friend is under the effects of Shingles it becomes obvious the discomfort and pain it puts them thru.

If you think you have early shingles symptoms then make sure to contact your doctor or local hospital to the treatment before it gets to far along and the rash covers more of the affected area and the pain gets more intense.