Omg. My 10 Year Old Sister Has

Shingles! Omg! My mom just called me from the dr's office! She is 10 with shingles. Oh lordy. If you don't know what they are i've copy/pasted a lil about it below! Gosh............ I'm so worried. Shingles. I never knew kids could get them!

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is an uncomfortable and often painful rash. It usually appears in a well-defined area on the abdomen or buttocks, although it may also occur on the face or arms. Because it commonly extends around the middle of the body, herpes zoster gets its name from the greek word zoster meaning "girdle." the name shingles comes from the latin word cingulum, a translation of zoster, which also means "girdle."

how serious is shingles?

In patients with normal immune systems, shingles rarely leads to hospitalization, usually clears up in a few weeks, and seldom recurs.

However, there are several complications that you should know about. The first is called postherpetic neuralgia, or phn.

People with phn have pain that lasts for weeks, months, or even years after the skin outbreak has healed. Using medicine in the early stages of shingles may help reduce the duration of phn. Another complication is that the blisters can become infected by bacteria. You should suspect this has happened if the pain and redness suddenly become worse or go away and then return. Antibiotics may be necessary to treat these bacterial infections. Shingles carries a risk of scarring the skin if the blisters become infected with bacteria.

Shingles can also get into the eyes and cause permanent damage. If you have any blisters on your face, nose, eyes, or ears, be sure to tell your doctor or other healthcare provider immediately.