Test To Confirm Shingles

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Test to confirm shingles. Examining your skin asking about your symptoms asking questions about your medical history such as whether you ve had chickenpox if your immune system is weak your. Linking to a non federal website does not constitute an endorsement by cdc or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Tests for chickenpox and shingles may be performed to detect and diagnose a current or past infection with vzv. Antibodies are proteins that your body makes due to infections and can be detected by laboratory tests.

Tests are rarely needed but may include taking a skin sample to see if the skin is infected with the virus that causes shingles. Polymerase chain reaction pcr is the most useful test for confirming cases of suspected zoster sine herpete herpes zoster type pain that occurs without a rash. Blood tests may show an increase in white blood cells and antibodies to the chickenpox virus but they cannot confirm that the rash is due to shingles. Tests for chickenpox and shingles may be performed to detect and diagnose a current or past infection with vzv.

If elevated white blood cells are observed your doctor may test your blood for antibodies to the herpes zoster virus. Your healthcare provider will be able to tell if you have shingles by. When you re exposed to varicella zoster virus your body makes antibodies to defend itself. Varicella zoster virus tests detect either antibodies produced by the immune system in response to a vzv infection or detect the virus itself.

Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body along with the telltale rash and blisters. If you have an atypical rash or there aren t any good swabs to use as a sample for pcr serological testing can be used in addition to a physical exam to diagnose shingles typically by looking for antibodies in your blood. When you re exposed to varicella zoster your immune system makes proteins to fight it. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory.

Varicella zoster virus tests detect either antibodies produced by the immune system in response to a vzv infection or detect the virus itself.