How long does shingles last? This depends on many factors. The exact cause or triggers of shingles are not known, but there are several known risk factors. People who have been infected with the herpes simplex virus, which is responsible for chickenpox are more likely to develop shingles than people who have never been infected. The herpes simplex virus lingers on in the nervous system and may be reactivated later in life if it is not treated, resulting in re-occurring outbreaks of shingles.
Risk factors associated with developing shingles include exposure to an object that produces the allergic reaction, including bee stings, medications, detergents, and certain fabrics. People who wear glasses or contact lenses may be at a higher risk of developing shingles due to decreased peripheral vision brought about by these lenses and glasses. People who have diabetes are also at a higher risk because of increased blood glucose levels and elevated insulin levels. Shingles commonly occurs in older adults who have underlying conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, and kidney failure. Vision loss is another factor, as patients may suffer from temporary or permanent vision loss and accompanying symptoms such as pain, sensitivity, and increased sensitivity to light.
The actual time frame in which a person gets shingles is difficult to define. The actual rash symptoms usually do not appear until roughly one to two weeks after exposure to the allergen. The length of time someone has been exposed to the object that causes the allergic reaction is also hard to pinpoint. Some people develop the illness as quickly as two days, while others seem to develop it for months or even years.
If you want to know how long does get chickenpox last, you need to know the definition of chickenpox itself. Chickenpox is a viral infection caused by a strain of the virus known as the varicella-zoster Virus (VZV). VZV is responsible for most cases of chickenpox. This means that the question of how long does chickenpox last becomes irrelevant.
The real question becomes how long does chickenpox affect those who have it and how long the illness remains in their body. There are various theories on this particular question, but they remain largely unproven. For instance, some experts believe that the illness only affects those who are living in close proximity to someone with the chickenpox. Those who are more than several feet away from such individuals develop milder symptoms of chickenpox and then recover completely.
Another theory on how long does getting shingles last is the actual definition of the condition itself. The problem with this particular definition is that it is extremely vague. For example, it defines the time period from when the rash first appears until when the rash finally vanishes. It doesn’t describe the length of time between the appearance of the rash until the time it disappears entirely. For those who have been diagnosed with the disease, this definition can cause problems because the possibility of recurrence exists.
Those who study this disease also consider how long the blisters last. Again, there is no precise definition. No one knows for sure how long the blisters last once a person develops a rash because there are so many variables involved. They can appear and vanish at very different speeds. The high temperature that produces them also affects their duration. Those who get shingles are often diagnosed with high temperature diseases, which can make the duration of the rash a lot longer than expected.
The precise definition of this condition is probably best described as “a rapid onset of blisters that usually appear on the face and head, often spreading to the shoulders and back.” Any definition that uses these words is only a rough estimate. In truth, it is difficult to give any precise definition. Because the definition varies from one person to another and because of all the variables involved, no single explanation can adequately define this condition.