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What Are The Areas On Skin That Are Affected During Shingles Infection?

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Posted on Mon, 16 Feb 2015
Question: if you contract shingles can it be around the mouth or facial area which interfers with shaving or is it centrally located in another region of the body?
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Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
It affects part of body supplied by the involved nerve

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for writing in to us.

I have read through your query in details.
Shingles is caused by reactivation of varicella virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles usually affects the elderly population but might affect at any age especially at times of stress and in those with reduced immunity.

What happens is during chicken pox, the virus enters the dorsal ganglion of the nerves arising from the spinal cord and then become dormant or inactive. Many years later, these viruses reactivate and affect the nerves of a particular area and usually only on a single side.

The shingles involves the skin area supplied by a particular nerve and usually on a single side. The common areas involved by shingles is
(i) Face including the forehead and eyes on one side.
(ii) Shoulder and upper chest
(iii) The lower abdomen from front to back on one side

Rarely more than one area can show involvement and that is known as disseminated shingles.

Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.

Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Vivek Chail

Radiologist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 6874 Questions

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What Are The Areas On Skin That Are Affected During Shingles Infection?

Brief Answer: It affects part of body supplied by the involved nerve Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thanks for writing in to us. I have read through your query in details. Shingles is caused by reactivation of varicella virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles usually affects the elderly population but might affect at any age especially at times of stress and in those with reduced immunity. What happens is during chicken pox, the virus enters the dorsal ganglion of the nerves arising from the spinal cord and then become dormant or inactive. Many years later, these viruses reactivate and affect the nerves of a particular area and usually only on a single side. The shingles involves the skin area supplied by a particular nerve and usually on a single side. The common areas involved by shingles is (i) Face including the forehead and eyes on one side. (ii) Shoulder and upper chest (iii) The lower abdomen from front to back on one side Rarely more than one area can show involvement and that is known as disseminated shingles. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements. Hope your query is answered. Do write back if you have any doubts. Regards, Dr.Vivek