Shingles
While shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is not as common as other causes on this list, the severe nerve pain and blister-like rash wrought by shingles is unmistakable. Shingles is a viral infection that develops into a painful rash, and while it can happen anywhere on the skin, the common area is the left or right side of the torso but doesn’t cross the midline of the torso.
Because the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella-zoster virus) is the same one that causes shingles, anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles. After you have recovered from chickenpox, the virus lays dormant in the nerves, where it can be potentially reactivated later in life and cause shingles. A vaccine for shingles, ZostavaxTM, is available for those age 60 and older. Upon developing shingles, you need urgent treatment with antiviral medications like acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir to reduce the risk of developing complications like vision loss, facial paralysis, skin infections, and postherpetic neuralgia.
