If you've never suffered from shingles before, you may not know what the disease is.
Shingles, which is properly called Herpes zoster, is basically the adult form of chicken pox.
In fact, it is the reactivation of the disease in adults.
Unlike the rash children get, however, shingles only affects a small part of the skin.
The symptoms of shingles include a rash that follows right along top of certain nerves.
Usually, these nerves are in the body, neck, scalp, or face.
Usually, shingles only affects those over 50; it is rare for younger adults to suffer from the symptoms of shingles.
Like the chicken pox, a person usually only gets shingles once; however, it is not unheard of for someone to have repeated shingles outbreaks.
Generally, these outbreaks occur at the same spot.
There are some other symptoms besides the rash.
If you have shingles on your face, it can affect your eyes or nose.
Shingles that affect the eye can actually lead to permanent blindness, so it is very important to visit your doctor right away if you suspect you have shingles on your face.
While you have the rash, you will experience many of the same symptoms children do with chicken pox.
The early stages including fever, discomfort, headache, upset stomach, and an itching or burning around the area where the rash will appear.
This area may also unexpectedly hurt a few days before you break out, but generally the pain only begins once you start to see the rash.
In some rare occasions, a person may not break out in a rash at all.
If you do break out, you will notice a line of red spots in the middle of a swollen area.
The spots will blister and, if popped, will ooze clear fluid.
Eventually, the blisters will crust over.
They may also bleed, itch, and hurt.
Once the rash vanishes, some people still experience pain around the area.