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Shingles treatment, illustration
Shingles treatment, illustration. The blue flashes passing into skin tissue represent the effects of a treatment against the varicella-zoster virus. An infection of the nerves (yellow) by this virus is called shingles or herpes zoster. It results from a reactivation of this virus from an earlier chickenpox infection. Painful skin blisters are caused by the reactivated virus travelling along sensory nerves to reach the skin (shown here) where it causes the outbreak of small blisters. The blisters last around two weeks and, if untreated, nerve damage causes severe pain in the affected area. Antiviral drugs, like acyclovir, can help if taken early on.
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