Shingles: Painful Return of Chickenpox Virus

Article

If youve had chickenpox, you may be at risk of shingles -- a painful skin disease that can lead to serious health complications. Shingles is most common in adults between the ages of 60 and 80, in part because aging can affect the bodys ability to fight off infections. Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox and remains in your nerve tissue.

The June issue of Mayo Clinic Womens HealthSource recommends you see your doctor immediately if you suspect shingles. The earliest warning signs and symptoms are a burning, tingling, or numbness in your skin and a red rash that follows a nerve pathway around one side of your face or body.

Within a week, the rash turns into fluid-filled blisters. Even after the blisters dry up -- usually in one to two weeks -- pain can persist and be severe. In some cases, the blisters can become infected and cause skin scarring. Blisters near the eye can cause lasting damage or blindness. Other problems may include hearing loss or brief facial paralysis.

Although there is no cure, prompt treatment with antiviral medications can reduce the diseases severity and complications. These drugs also may reduce the painful aftereffects of shingles -- a condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN can cause sharp, throbbing or stabbing pain long after a shingles rash has healed. Other drugs that may be used for shingles or PHN include corticosteroids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and topical skin creams or patches containing a local anesthetic.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Related Videos
Patient Safety: Infection Control Today's Trending Topic for March
Infection Control Today® (ICT®) talks with John Kimsey, vice president of processing optimization and customer success for Steris.
Picture at AORN’s International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024
Infection Control Today and Contagion are collaborating for Rare Disease Month.
Rare Disease Month: An Infection Control Today® and Contagion® collaboration.
Vaccine conspiracy theory vector illustration word cloud  (Adobe Stock 460719898 by Colored Lights)
Rare Disease Month: An Infection Control Today® and Contagion® collaboration.
Infection Control Today Topic of the Month: Mental Health
Infection Control Today's topic of the month: Mental Health
Related Content