shingles?

[CindyLou3]

I think dd might have shingles. She woke with a rash on her forehead and left side of her face, she has a few bumps on the left side just under her neck too, at first I thought chicken pox (yes she had the vax) but no fever and my other two dont have the rash either and they are always together. She did have a bubble bath last night and I used bath gel, which I know she has used before, it has been awhile though. She did put bubble on her face, but if she was sitting in a tub full of bubbles wouldnt her whole body break out and not just the left side of her face? I thought I read somewhere of course after the fact that you could get shingles from the vax.

[allisonintx]

pic?

[CindyLou3]

I got a few I have to find my camera cord. will post some in a few

[allisonintx]

ok. Rashy stuff is hard to do by discription, and sometimes even difficult in person.

[milkmommy]

I get shingles like every other year. I got the chicken pox when I was 9 months but apprently not "enough" so shingles are an annoying part of my life, they start in the underside of my wrists and tummy them fast spread all over my stomache back arms and legs my face luckily is almost always spared. They itch like the dickens and not a lot helps.
Gold bond itch cream actually helps a lot :shifty though though I'd be careful using it on a child. :shifty Oatmeal and baking soda (each not togeher) helps as well. I hate hate hate shingles. :mad

Deanna

[amstermarie]

not to hijack but if it is shingels how contagious is it .... i imagine an unvaxed baby would get the pox though .. not that i mind him getting pox, but id like a break in between hand foot mouth disease and the pox...

[milkmommy]

Its not contagious its viral.

Deanna

[CindyLou3]

Ug I dont think I am going to find the cord tonight to post a pic. I guess if it doesn't spread by AM it is not chicken pox. Does a shingles rash and chicken poxs look alike?

[allisonintx]

they have similarities, but Chicken pox tend to be more all-over and shingles tend to group up.

[Quiteria]

Its not contagious its viral.

Deanna


It IS contagious by direct contact. Not by casually breathing on others and so forth like chicken pox, but touching the blisters, particularly the fluid, does spread the disease to anyone not immune yet, and it will show up as cp for the person who catches it. When the immune system fights off cp, it is believed that some of the virus cells hide dormant in the spinal cord, then when the immune system is weakened, they come back out along the nerve and manifest as shingles in a cluster where that nerve leads. The exact location depends on which nerve(s) they are in...usually the trunk somewhere, but sometimes the face.

It can be painful, and facial cases can be more serious since there are all kinds of special organs and nerves there, like your auditory nerves responsible for hearing. Rare, but worth having it looked at, IMO, and some of the treatment options are most effective if started within 72hrs of first signs of rash. It should go away on its own if you aren't comfortable with antiviral meds, but may take weeks and in some unlucky patients may leave lingering nerve pain.

When dh had it, i googled and found lots of info sites like ihaveshingles.org or something like that...nothing crunchy and alternative, but some did have articles debating meds and treatment, arguing for more usage or less, and so forth. Ds did catch it from dh, seeing as it was on dh's chest right where he holds ds in the burp position, and he usually goes shirtless in the house, so he was right there as it began, and constantly trying to snuggle up to daddy once dh tried keeping him away from it.

[milkmommy]

It IS contagious by direct contact. Not by casually breathing on others and so forth like chicken pox, but touching the blisters, particularly the fluid, does spread the disease to anyone not immune yet, and it will show up as cp for the person who catches it. When the immune system fights off cp, it is believed that some of the virus cells hide dormant in the spinal cord, then when the immune system is weakened, they come back out along the nerve and manifest as shingles in a cluster where that nerve leads.

Thanks I meant to clairfy better (had to leave) then couldn't find the post :O
Deanna

[CindyLou3]

Thanks for the all the info. My FIL just told me tonight they were playing by I think he said papaya trees(I think that is what it was) and he said I can't remember what on the tree can be an irritent (sp?) to some people. I would have to go with that. She has had no fever and the sores don't seem to be causing her pain just a bit itchy. AND I STILL CAN"T FIND MY CAMERA CORD :banghead