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Shingles

Description

It is a viral infection also referred to as herpes zoster, which results from VZV that is the same virus causing chickenpox. This virus may stay in your nervous system for years even if you have recovered from chickenpox infection & reactivate again to cause shingles. In chickenpox, you experience itchy blisters but in shingles, you have a rash with shooting pain.

It appears as a stripe of a blister on one side of the body classically on the torso, face, or neck. It clears in about two to three weeks. Shingles may rarely occur more than once in the same individual.

Causes

It is caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) which is the same that causes chickenpox. It will develop in anyone who has had a history of chickenpox. The virus stays dormant in the nervous system for years & reactivate in some cases to travel along the nerve pathway towards the skin & produce shingles. Its exact reason is unknown but may develop due to lower immunity to infections. It mostly in older patients & people with weak immune systems.

Risk factors

The risk may arise in anyone who has had chickenpox, & those with a weak immune system. You are more likely to get shingles if:

  • You are 50 or older
  • Under excessive stress
  • Cancer, HIV, or other diseases that might lower your body’s defense mechanism
  • Serious physical injury
  • Administer long-term steroids or medications that weaken the immune system.
Symptoms

The signs & symptoms affect usually only a small section of the body. Symptoms include:

  • Numbness, burning, pain, or tingling
  • Sensitivity to touch
  • Red rash developing few days after the pain
  • Itching
  • Fluid-filled blisters that break open & crust over.
  • Fever, headache, fatigue & sensitivity to light may occur in some people.
Diagnosis
  • A physical examination of rashes & blisters
  • Ask about your past medical history
  • In rare cases, doctors ask for a test of skin sample or fluid from blisters. Samples then confirm the presence of the virus.
Management

Its treatment may include:

  • In the initial days when you see a rash (within 3 days), and start antiviral medicines will help you heal faster & cut risks of complication
  • Anticonvulsant medications (used to suppress the excessive rapid firing of neurons)
  • Antidepressants (will prevent depressive disorders)
  • Cool compresses
  • Colloidal oatmeal baths
  • Medicated lotion
  • OTC (over-the-counter) medications
  • Prescription painkillers
  • Numbing medicines
  • Antihistamines
When to consult a doctor?

If you suspect shingles, and in following cases immediately consult your doctor:

  • Pain & rash appear near the eye. If left untreated will lead to lasting eye damage
  • Older than 60, as age increases risk of complications
  • If you or your family member has weakened immune system due to cancer, medicines or chronic illness
  • Rash is painful & widespread.

 

Available Medicine for Shingles

Famclor 250mg

Rs.2000

Genome Pharma

Famvir 250mg

Rs.11385.9

Novartis

Virovir 250mg

Rs.1835

Crystolite Pharma

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