Chickenpox (varicella) is usually harmless in healthy children, but can lead to shingles (herpes zoster) later in life. Herpes zoster is a recurrent infectious disease that initially spreads through droplet infection. Most people know it as the dreaded red spots on the faces of playmates from kindergarten, also known as ‘wild blisters’ or ‘pointed blisters’. What begins as highly contagious chickenpox hides in the nerve nodes of the spine for life. The virus remains there and only comes out later, usually when there is intense exposure to sunlight, during a stressful phase in life or due to age. This is why there is an increase in cases of shingles during the summer months.
From the age of 50, a renewed outbreak is increasingly associated with a weakening of the immune system, for example due to a long-standing pre-existing illness.
- The reawakened virus then manifests itself in the form of shingles, a rosette-like, painful ring of blisters around the areas of the central nerve pathways.
- Visually, the outbreak usually appears on the skin surface of the face and laterally around the lower back.
- Other symptoms include a slight fever, fatigue and severe itching.
People aged 65 or over are most likely to suffer from shingles (up to 20,000 consultations per year in Switzerland). The herpes-related pain can then last for several months to years (post-herpetic neuralgia). If shingles in the eye area is not treated, it can lead to blindness.
