What is shingles?

Shingles: Shingles is a disease caused by a virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles present as a vesicular rash on one side of the body and typically doesn't cross. It could be very very painful and pain could last for weeks or forever. This is called post herpetic neuralgia. Luckily, a vaccine is available today for elderly people. Vaccine is zostavax.

Herpes zoster: Shingles (herpes zoster) is reactivation of the varicella zoster (chickenpox virus), which lives in your nerve cells after you've had chickenpox. It causes painful blisters on a red rash that occur in a linear band on one side of the body. Early treatment speeds recovery.