a viral infection -- called herpes zoster by doctors -- consists of painful blisters on the skin that follow nerve pathways
Shingles (Herpes zoster) is an acute infection of the nerves that supply sensation to the skin, generally at one or several spinal levels and on one side of the body (right or left) Patients with shingles usually have had chicken pox earlier in life The Herpes virus that causes chicken pox is believed to exist in a dormant state in the spinal nerve roots after the chicken pox resolves In persons with shingles, this virus reactivates to cause infection along the sensory nerve, leading to nerve pain and usually an outbreak of shingles (tiny blisters on the same side of the body and at the same nerve level) The back pain in patients with shingles of the lumbar area can precede the skin rash by days Successive crops of tiny blisters can appear for several days and clear in one to two weeks Patients occasionally are left with a more chronic nerve pain (post-herpetic neuralgia) Treatment can involve symptomatic relief with lotions, such as calamine, or medications, such as Zovirax
Shingles are usually redwood, cedar or cypress They are smooth sawn and of uniform size and shape They are applied from the bottom up and overlap each other a bit as the next highest row is applied Some people prefer to have their shingles overlap in various amounts to give a different look or texture Shingles can be applied in a single course, where all shingles are exposed to the elements or a double course in which only the top layer of shingles is exposed Shingles are prone to cupping, a rolling of the shingle toward the center, and checking, which is a cracking or splitting
{i} (Pathology) herpes zoster, zoster, acute viral disease in adults which is characterized by a painful skin rash on nerve pathways which is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox
Roof covering of asphalt, asbestos, wood, tile, slate or other material cut to stock lengths, widths and thicknesses
Acute inflammation of the spinal and cranial nerves caused by a virus and associated with eruptions and pain along the course of the affected nerves
Thin, wedge-shaped pieces of wood or flat rectangular pieces of slate, mineral fiber, glass fiber or composition asphalt installed on a roof to prevent water seepage
An acute infection caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chicken pox It usually occurs during adulthood after exposure to chicken pox in childhood The chicken pox virus remains dormant in the body