Before the shingles sores emerge, there can be a burning, itching, tingling sensation in the skin, with the rash appearing up to five days later. She says these kind of red, rashy lesions, which look similar to chicken pox, are found in a strip or patch on only one side of the body—the left side of the torso, for example, rather than all over the torso.
There may also be a fever, headache or chills. Fortunately, shingles pain tends to be milder for kids than it is in adults.
However, for kids the sores may be itchy, he says. They scab over after a few days and should heal completely in two to four weeks. Shingles is contagious, but not nearly as contagious as chicken pox. In other words, exposure to the virus from shingles leads to chicken pox, not directly to shingles. The shingles sores are contagious until they are scabbed over. Usually a doctor makes the diagnosis based on the symptoms particularly the symptom of the rash appearing on just one half of the body but a blood test or lab test of a small sample of a sore may be used to confirm the diagnosis.
Shingles treatment is mainly about treating the symptoms, says Ponti, such as age-appropriate over-the-counter pain medication for pain. Depending on the situation, your doctor may also prescribe anti-viral medication, she says, adding that if your kiddo is scratching the sores and gets a bacterial infection on top of the viral infection, they may need antibiotics. She cautions that shingles near the eyes can be very serious, potentially permanently damaging the eye, so that situation needs to be monitored closely by a doctor.
Shingles vaccines are available and in Canada are recommended for adults age 50 and up, but they are not recommended for children. Bottom line: kids get all kinds of rashes. About shingles Shingles is caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles rarely affects children under three years of age. Shingles symptoms Shingles appears as a rash of small red lumps, which then form fluid-filled blisters. Does your child need to see a doctor about shingles?
Also see the GP if your child: gets the rash and suffers from a chronic illness or is taking medications that affect hisimmune system. Shingles treatment Children with shingles usually just need treatment to relieve symptoms like pain and itch. Newborn babies and people with low immunity should avoid contact with anyone with shingles. Your child may also have tests, such as:. Skin scrapings. The blisters are gently scraped to remove tiny samples. The samples are tested to check for the virus.
It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Treatment right away with antiviral medicine may help lessen how long the symptoms last and how serious they are. These antiviral medicines work better the sooner they are started. Your child may be given acyclovir, famciclovir, or valacyclovir. Ask the healthcare provider about over-the-counter pain medicine. You may be able to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and discomfort. Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old, unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
Don't give aspirin to children. Aspirin can cause a serious health condition called Reye syndrome. A shingles rash can get infected with bacteria, causing a skin infection cellulitis. After the shingles rash is gone, the pain may continue for a long time. This is a complication called postherpetic neuralgia PHN. There is a shingles vaccine for older adults, but not for children. This is because shingles is more severe in older adults.
But a child who has had the chickenpox vaccine may have milder symptoms of shingles. If your child has not had chickenpox, talk with the healthcare provider about the chickenpox vaccine. At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests.
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