Herpes Zoster Keratitis - Shingles Of The Eye

Eye shingles is a herpes zoster virus infection of the eye. It occurs during a shingles outbreak that ocurs on the face. When shingles happens om the face, contacting your haelaht care professional immediately for early treatment can help prevent vision difficulties, or even permanent blindness. shingles is the result of a previous bout with chickenpox (varicella).

Symptoms of eye shingles include:

• Rash/blisters,


• Painful inflammation and redness


• Fever and sluggishness.


• Orbital swelling around the eye

Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, varicella zoster. The virus is dormant in the nervous system for years after having a chickenpox infection. Conditions such as cancer or chemotherapy, or anything that affects the immune system can cause the virus to come out of its dormant state, resulting in a painful shingles attack. The eyes tend to get infected when shingles appears on the face.

Shingles begins with a tingling or burning sensation on the skin, evolving into a red rash that become blisters that erupt leaking a clear fluid. The blisters then crust over and heal. The virus is being shed during the open blister stage and is how eye shingles can occur

The zoster virus, like chickenpox, is spread through person to person contact. Shingles is never passed to another person as shingles. However, a person with no immunity to chickenpox, will get varicella if exposed to someone who has an active herpes zoster infection.

Complications of Zoster Keratitis:

Zoster infection of the eye can result in serious consequences, such as vision loss and damage that requires surgical repair. Scarring of the eyelids will keep the eye lids from closing properly, resulting in Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT), a condition where the eyelids and eyelashes turn inward, scratching the cornea. Quick and intense treatment can prevent severity of symptoms, and is important to notify your health care provider should zoster occur anywhere on the facial area, particularly on the forehead.

Other serious conditions of eye shingles include vision loss and glaucoma.

Generally, patients with zoster keratitis feel very ill. Symptoms such as eye inflammation accompanied by a rash, can mimic other eye conditions, which makes diagnosis difficult. This condition can also result in a bacterial infection of the eye.

Treatment includes antiviral drugs that can decrease the risk of complications among those with eye shingles. Ultimately, treatment for this condition must begin as soon as the onset of a zoster infection involving the face is evident. Your eye sight depends on it, as well as avoiding the long term effects and the possibility of surgery if treatment is delayed.

Keeping your vaccine record updated with the latest chickenpox and shingles vaccine can help prevent infection and complications related to herpes zoster keratitis.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT