Shingles
Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a skin rash that can be uncomfortable, itchy and even painful. Shingles usually occurs in older adults and is a condition that affects a small area on the body or face. Shingles often lasts a few weeks. While it is usually not dangerous, it can be serious, so one should seek out medical attention to alleviate the symptoms and quicken the recovery time.
- Causes: Shingles is actually caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, called the varicella zoster virus. As a child recovers from the chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant (inactive) in the body. The virus remains dormant into adulthood, and sometimes, forever. However, in some cases, the virus resurfaces when an adult immune system has been weakened due to factors such as stress, illness or an injury. It’s also more common to get shingles as you get older and your natural childhood immunity begins to fade. For all these reasons, while most healthy adults are perfectly capable of caring for a child with chickenpox, it’s not a bad idea for those at higher risk of contracting shingles to avoid direct exposure.
- Symptoms: Symptoms of shingles often occur in a few stages. At first, the patient may experience flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, sensitivity to light, general achiness, or fever. Next, the patient may develop itchiness or pain in a particular area, and eventually, a small strip of a rash appears. The rash then forms into clusters of blisters which eventually fill with fluid. The skin lesions can be contagious, so they should be covered and caution should be used around infants, small children and the elderly. Occasionally, a patient may only experience a mild rash or may not develop a rash at all. Thus, some cases of shingles are a lot easier to identify than others, especially compared to the telltale cases of chickenpox of childhood.
- Treatment: While shingles can go away on its own, the recovery time and length of discomfort can be shortened under proper medical care. Shingles is usually treated with antiviral medication that speeds up the healing time for the rash and also helps with any pain accompanied with the virus. While mild symptoms may sound like a blessing, late diagnosis greatly reduces the effectiveness of these antivirals. At home, it’s important for the patient to keep any open sores from the blisters clean. If the lesions are occurring near the eye or tip of the nose, the patient should seek immediate medical attention.
- Self-Care: Again, more than just the virus itself, shingles are often associated with stress, illness or injury. Even after the infection is fought off and the symptoms have subsided, it’s important to consider the factors leading up to the illness. Stress and pre-existing injuries can cause things a lot worse than shingles. More to this point, the body does develop a new immunity of sorts, but this immunity is also susceptible to failure in patients with compromised immune systems and poor overall health. While around one out of every four people will get a case of shingles, it’s exceedingly rare to get shingles more than twice.
Why Choose Zel for Shingles Treatment
Shingles can be a lot worse and a lot more painful than garden-variety chickenpox. Get a confident diagnosis, and get back to feeling better sooner rather than later with our dermatologist and skin care clinic. Contact us to schedule an appointment or virtual visit today.
*Results may vary per patient. Services vary by location.
Zel Skin & Laser Specialists – Plymouth ★★★★★ on Google5:27pm
Felt COvid safe ... always a great experience working with professionals
Brian brings a unique combination of medical science, clinical expertise, integrity and compassion to his patients. He provides the latest technology available in the field of dermatology but with a personalized touch for each patient. He is highly respected by his colleagues throughout the country for his expertise and sincerity.
Everyone I have met at Zel is amazing!
It is rare to find a dermatologist who is as knowledgeable about the many facets of clinical and cosmetic dermatology as Dr. Zelickson. Because of his knowledge and honesty, doctors worldwide know they can depend on his assessment of new therapies, procedures and medical devices. This, in turn, has made him a much sought–after speaker for the plethora of professional medical society meetings and engagements that we have throughout the year. I am honored to know Dr. Zelickson and consider him a friend to the profession.
Dr. Brian Zelickson was one of our initial Thermage investigators and helped us understand the mechanisms of non–invasive skin tightening. He is a renowned expert on how collagen can affect skin tightening and wrinkle reduction.
Dr. Brian Zelickson is one of this country’s leading laser experts. Not only is he unparalleled as a laser surgeon, it is not an exaggeration to state that his superb research helps determine the future of dermatologic laser surgery.
Dr. Zelickson is a highly regarded skin/light expert in our industry. When Candela looks for both medical and scientific advice for new laser applications, we often turn to him for his counsel. The input he provides us always starts with patient safety and satisfaction. We feel fortunate to be able to tap into Brian as an independent resource. The patients who are treated with Candela devices are often the beneficiaries of Brian’s input to us.
Most patients prefer seeing a doctor who is known for a particular specialty or procedure, but all patients want to see the doctor who invented the procedure or therapy. Dr. Brian Zelickson is one of the most respected physicians in the field of cosmetic dermatology and aesthetic medicine. He has lectured around the world and is one of the most sought–after speakers for all major meetings in dermatology.
I would rate Dr. Zelickson's clinic 10 stars!
We have felt honored to have Dr. Brian Zelickson, a world–renowned dermatologist who is distinguished as a high–quality care physician, serving as the investigator evaluating Syneron non–invasive skin tightening technology
I trained with Dr. Zelickson at Mayo Clinic, and I found him to be a very bright and creative dermatologist and scientist. Later, he was our best advisor when we set up our clinic in the Basque Country in Spain. I call him the ‘paparazzi of dermatology.’ His contribution to our speciality is probably among the best of this century.
Tuve la suerte de conocer al Dr. Brian Zelickson en Minneapolis hace muchos anos y desde entonces acudo regularmente a compartir sus conocimientos. Es un científico honrado, brillante, creativo e innovador. Nunca deja de sorprenderte agradablemente.
Dr. Zelickson is a very well–respected dermatologist, not only in the U.S., but also in Europe. He is famous for being the author of relevant dermatological studies published in many prestigious medical journals and for the improvements he’s made on minimally invasive cosmetic procedures that are being used by dermatologists all over the world.
Our view from Europe of Dr. Brian Zelickson is that he is one of the leading four or five U.S. laser dermatologists. His research contributions, his superb lectures and his expert knowledge of laser skin surgery make him a valued friend, colleague and guest.
Dr. Brian Zelickson is one of the world’s leaders in cutaneous laser surgery. He has performed groundbreaking research over the past decade, advancing the field as well as expertly providing the most up–to–date laser treatments for his patients.
Brian Zelickson is a world–renowned laser expert who helps develop the lasers and treatment parameters used by the rest of the world. He is where others turn to learn the latest techniques in laser surgery. If you want the best treatment available, delivering the best results in the safest environment available, there is no need to look anywhere else.
I have met many laser experts in my 20 years of teaching, lecturing and running a busy practice. There is no one who I respect more than Brian. If I have a clinical question or research idea, Brian is one of the few individuals I call, as I know I can count on his intellect, integrity and common sense.
Dr. Zelickson is one of America’s most knowledgeable laser experts. He has done pioneering work with many of the laser and light–based technologies developed in the world over the last 10 years. He is a giant in the field.
Dr. Zelickson is one of the world’s leaders in the field of lasers for the treatment of the skin. His many years experience in treating thousands of patients with lasers and other medical devices makes him one of the most sought–after doctors in this field. Innovation and caring are his trademarks.