How do you get Shingles?

What is Shingles? I'm sure many of people don't know what it means.  Well, it is happening to me right now!

I'm writing this for entertainment only.  Please contact your healthcare profession if you think you're developing Shingles.

Last Wednesday, I noticed a few streaks of redness on my left shoulder.  It looked like scratches from itching.  I didn't worry much.  The next day I noticed the rashes became more visible, but I didn't feel any pain or itches.  I didn't take any action then because it didn't bather me at all.  Then by Friday, it became more obvious to me that this weren't just scratches.  Then for sure Shingle came to my mind and I started reading about Shingle.  My rashes started turning into blisters and it kept on growing and growing.  I contact the doctor and got my Acyclovia Antiviral prescription later that evening.

From what I understood, Shingle developed from Chicken Pox.  When you had chicken pox earlier in life, some of the viruses remain dormant in your body.  Sometimes, these viruses reappear later on in life usually after 60 years of age.

Shingle can be spread by droplet from blisters.  A person who has received chicken pox virus cannot get shingle.  If a person had Chicken Pox before, he or she cannot get Shingle from other, but from your own.

Some early signs and symptoms of Shingle are muscle aching (the affected nerve).  Shingle usually appear along one nerve line.  In my case from top of my left my neck down to my left chest, shoulder, and back.  Several of my lymph nodes are swelling and tender armpit.

The rashes and blisters can be itchy and painful.  Luckily, I don't have a lot of pain or sever itches (cross my fingers).  The rashes will turn into blisters and eventually will rupture.  Then it became crusted over.  These process can take up to 4- 6 weeks depend on whether when your treatment begins.  If Antiviral medication begins early (within 72 hrs), the condition would improve faster.

So far I'm on my 3rd day of Antiviral (taking 3 times a day).  The rashes are looking really pink and there are many blister forming.  It's the ugliest things I've ever seen on me.  Hopefully, everything will settle down by the time my twins are graduating (from kindergarten).

Thanks for reading.  Will update my condition soon.

To read more about Shingle, you can visit; Webmd.com