Shingles, commonly known as herpes zoster, is a painful viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus; the same virus is responsible for chickenpox. Whereas shingles appear as a painful rash on the skin, people are curious to know how to tell if you have shingles in your eyes. In this article, we will explore the possibility of how do you get shingles in your eye vision and eye symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
How Do You Get Ocular Herpes Zoster?
Is it possible to get shingles, known as ocular herpes zoster, in the eyes? When the varicella-zoster virus reactivates, it directly affects the trigeminal nerve’s ophthalmic part, leading to ocular herpes zoster. The trigeminal nerve takes the sensory response to the eyes, nose, and face. When the virus starts to act in this area, it can easily affect your eyes.
Shingles have scorching, redness, and swelling around the eyes, and inflammation affects the cornea. This could be the reason for severe complications, including vision loss, if not ideally treated.
Symptoms Of Shingles In Your Eye
Shingles cause many symptoms; often, pain occurs in the start; otherwise, every individual can feel different signs in their case. Some people think dull aching, while others experience sharp, piercing, or burning sensations. Moreover, this pain can last long or may be intermittent.
Another common symptom that people often feel is a rash that appears in the form of tiny blisters. It also can be sore and itchy; as a result, a rash starts to develop around the upper torso that affects a particular side of the body.
Some More Common Symptoms
- Headache
- nausea
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle pain or weakness
- Partially paralysis
- Difficulty with bladder control or urination
- Guillian-Barre syndrome
- Inflammation of the brain
Shingles can also cause pneumonia in some sporadic cases; even a shingles infection becomes fatal if not properly treated. Likewise, during pregnancy, it is essential to consult a doctor.
Symptoms At The Early Stage Shingles On The Face And Eye
There are different symptoms of shingles in eye. Well, If shingles affect a person’s face, it causes…
- Rash
- Burning sensation, pain, or sensitivity
- Difficulty in the movement of parts of the face
- Hear loss
- Vertigo
- Eyelids drop
- Gums, teeth, tongue, or palate problems
- Effect on the Taste bud
- Vision, eye movement problems
How Shingles Should Be Treated?
If somebody starts to feel something related to shingles in eye symptoms they must consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Your doctor will instantly examine physical tests of your eye and ask about symptoms using instruments such as a slit lamp and an ophthalmoscope. This will identify clinical signs of the condition of your eye both outside and inside.
Treatment options may be included…
Antiviral Medications
These drugs are available in the form of liquid or tablet. You must have medications regularly as long as it is according to a prescribed suggestion by your doctor.
Eye Drops
Eye drops are commonly helpful for keeping the eye moist or treating an infection.
Cool Compresses
Often, ophthalmologists recommend placing a cool, slightly damp cloth over the eyes to relax the pain.
Pain Medicines Depend Entirely
The practitioner suggests the patient’s condition after thorough consideration.
Other Risk Factors
Statistics tell about 1 in 3 people gets affected with shingles at some point. Anyone who has ever been a victim of chickenpox can develop shingles; however, it is commonly considered among over 50-year-old individuals. Moreover, some other risk elements may cause…
- Being aged
- Depression & Stress
- Prolonged illness
- Weak immune system
- immunosuppressant medications
Note
Vaccination is also available as a preemptive action to prevent people from developing shingles.
How To Prevent Shingles in your eyes?
This is the talk of the town; prevention is better than cure, so the most preemptive action to prevent shingles is to get the shingles vaccine. This shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is recommended for people who are:
- Over aged 50 and older
The CDC recommends two doses of the vaccine. According to the CDC, two amounts of Shingrix are 97% effective in avoiding shingles in adults aged 50–69 with healthy immune systems. On the other hand, in those aged 70 and older with healthy immune systems, two doses of Shingrix are 91% effective for preemptive cure. If you’re health conscious, you should not be late to talk with a doctor to determine whether the vaccine suits you.
Is Shingle Contagious?
The answer is probably not. But the noticeable thing is that the same virus is responsible for shingles and chickenpox. If a person contracts the varicella-zoster virus from someone with shingles, they can develop chickenpox, not shingles. This means a person with shingles can spread chickenpox to someone free from it, which is hazardous for those with a weakened immune system.
The risk of virus:
- Keep the shingles rash covered.
- Never try to scratch it.
- Good hygiene practices, such as washing hands after touching the rash.
Final Verdict
Hence, Shingles in your eyes is the standard query most people around want to discover. The shingles are not contagious but can affect your vision to some extent. There are various symptoms for the shingles; on the other side, there are also easy ways of treating shingles.
FAQs
What is ocular herpes zoster?
Ocular herpes zoster is a condition where the varicella-zoster virus becomes a cause of chickenpox and shingles, affecting the eye and its close areas.
Can ocular herpes zoster cause vision loss?
Yes, it can be deadly for vision if complications arise; ocular herpes zoster can lead to slight vision problems and permanent vision loss. Instant attention and preemptive and prompt treatment can prevent this fatal illness.
How long does Shingles In The Eye last?
The duration of ocular herpes zoster or shingles can be different from patient to patient. If treatment affects, symptoms often improve within a few weeks. However, in some cases, it may experience lasting effects.
