Shingles Pain Information

Shingles, also called herpes-zoster, is a disease caused by the virus that causes chickenpox. The virus is called varicella-zoster virus. In shingles disease, outbreak of rash or blisters appears on the skin. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in the United States, shingles affects about 2 in every 10 people during their lifetime.

Shingles is not spread from person to person, unlike chickenpox. However, a person with shingles rash can spread the virus to someone who has never had chickenpox, usually children. The child who contracted the virus from a person with the condition will develop chickenpox and not shingles.

After a person has recovered from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body, usually in the nerve cells. This virus may remain dormant and may not cause problems for years. However, as a person gets older, the virus may reappear as shingles.

The condition is more common in people over the age of 50. However, if a person has had chickenpox, he or she is at risk of developing shingles. People who have weakened immune systems due to HIV infection, stress, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and have undergone transplant operations are at risk of developing the disease as well.

The first sign or symptom of shingles is often burning, shooting, or tingling pain usually occurring in one side of the face or the body. Sometimes, it can occur as numbness or itching. Blisters or rashes may appear anywhere between 1 to 14 days. Shingles that appear on the face may also cause visual or hearing problems.

Shingles pain can be mild to severe, which may last for weeks, months, or even years after healing of the blisters. If the pain from shingles does not go away for months or years after the blisters have healed, the condition is called postherpetic neuralgia-a complication of the virus.

Currently, there is no cure for shingles. However, early treatment with antiviral drugs may significantly reduce the duration or lessen the effects of the condition. These antiviral drugs, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), may include acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir. These medications may also help prevent postherpetic neuralgia.

For prevention of shingles in people 60 years old and above, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that they get vaccinated with the shingles vaccine.

Sources:
Shingles Information Page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Shingles. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccination. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).