Contents:
- Medical Video: Shingles
- Shingles can cause pain even after recovery
- Who is at risk of suffering from chickenpox pain?
- How do you treat pain and pain from shingles?
- 1. Analgesic
- 2. Tricyclic antidepressants
- 3. Anti-convulsants
- Can we prevent shingles?
- Conclusion
Medical Video: Shingles
Have you ever had herpes zoster or is it more commonly known as snakepox or fire pox? Shingles is a disease that arises from reactivation of the chickenpox virus or varicella zoster. If you have had chickenpox, it is possible that you may experience shingles or chickenpox later on.
In herpes zoster, sufferers usually experience redness (bumps filled with water) redness in one part of the body. Unlike chickenpox which causes itching, resilience in shingles is usually painful.
Shingles can cause pain even after recovery
Post herpetic neuralgia is one of the complications that can occur in people who have suffered from shingles. This condition occurs when the patient's nerve becomes damaged due to the appearance of shingles. These damaged nerves cannot send signals from the skin to the brain, and cause 'confusion' in impulse delivery which produces severe chronic pain that can last monthly or even yearly.
Symptoms and signs that are often encountered include:
- Severe pain that lasts more than 1 to 3 months along with the occurrence of shingles. Pain continues even after the reddish rash disappears.
- Heat sensation on the skin that feels even if only lightly pressed.
- High sensitivity to changes in temperature and touch.
Who is at risk of suffering from chickenpox pain?
Age is the biggest risk factor for the occurrence of shingles and post herpetic neuralgia. Patients aged 60 years and over have a high risk, while at the age of 70 years and above, the risk will be even higher.
Patients who experience severe pain and rash during herpes zoster also have a high risk of experiencing it post herpetic neuralgia. In addition, sufferers who have low immunity, such as those with HIV infection and Hodgkin's lymphoma, also have a high risk of suffering from shingles. A study from American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) shows that the incidence of herpes zoster is 15 times greater in people with HIV compared to the normal population.
How do you treat pain and pain from shingles?
Most doctors will be able to diagnosepost herpetic neuralgia based on the duration of pain since the onset of shingles. Therefore, the investigation is usually not needed.
Treatment for post herpetic neuralgia aims to control and reduce pain until the condition disappears completely. Treatment for pain can use the following options:
1. Analgesic
Pain relievers or relievers are also called analgesics. Analgesics are often used for post herpetic neuralgia, including:
- Capsaicin cream: an analgesic derived from chili extract.
- Lidocaine: usually used in the form of patches, is a drug to provide numbness.
- Drugs that you can buy at pharmacies such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Drugs that must be purchased by prescription such as codeine, hydrocodone, or oxycodone.
2. Tricyclic antidepressants
This type of drug is usually prescribed to treat depression, but this antidepressant can also be used to treat pain caused by post herpetic neuralgia. Keep in mind, this drug has side effects such as dry mouth and blurred vision. This type of drug does not work as fast as other pain relievers. The commonly used tricyclic impurities are:
- amitriptyline
- desipramine
- imipramine
- nortriptyline
3. Anti-convulsants
This type of drug is commonly used for patients with seizures, but many studies show that lower doses can be used to treat pain from post herpetic neuralgia. Anti-convulsants that are often used are:
- carbamazepine
- pregabalin
- Gabapentin
- phenytoin
Can we prevent shingles?
Now, there is a vaccine that can be used to prevent the occurrence of herpes zoster and protect it from occurring post herpetic neuralgia. The vaccine is named Zostavax. The effectiveness of this vaccine to prevent the occurrence of herpes zoster in a person is around 50%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that this vaccine be given to adults over the age of 60, except for those who have immune system deficiencies — this group is not recommended to receive this vaccine because it contains live viruses.
Zostavax is different from the smallpox vaccine that is usually given to children. This vaccine contains at least 14 times more than the smallpox virus compared to the smallpox virus in children. This vaccine should not be given to children.
Conclusion
Pain in post herpetic neuralgia can be cured and prevented. In most cases, pain can disappear in one to two months, while in rare cases, pain can last up to more than a year.
If you or your parents are over 60 years old, you can take precautionary measures by injecting a vaccine for herpes zoster. However, if you have or are currently suffering from this condition, don't worry, there are many alternative medicines that can be chosen. However, what you need to remember is, treat pain as a result post herpetic neuralgia requires patience and a short time.
