Shingles causes a rash and pain along the path of the nerve in which a virus has become active. Affected nerves are associated with one side of the body or the other, making the condition unilateral, or one-sided.
Cause
A shingles outbreak is a result of infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the virus that causes chickenpox. After recovery from chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant in a nerve cell.
Features
Shingles generally affects a nerve somewhere on the torso, although the face and head can also be involved, says the Mayo Clinic. The location of the pain and rash depends on the nerve's location.
Identification
A unilateral rash and pain is a strong indication that shingles is present and can help a doctor easily reach a diagnosis of shingles, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Treatment
A person with a unilateral rash and pain should seek out medical treatment as soon as possible, urges the Mayo Clinic, because antiviral drugs used to treat shingles are most effective within the first three days after symptoms begin.
Considerations
A painful rash that is not limited to one side of your body may not be caused by shingles.
Tags: Mayo Clinic, rash pain, unilateral rash, unilateral rash pain
