And if you thought chickenpox was bad, you don’t want to meet shingles, and you definitely don’t want to meet its painful companion, post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN)!
What is shingles?
The virus is also more common among people who are immunocompromised, such as those who have HIV / AIDS, or have undergone chemotherapy or had an organ transplant.
Symptoms
Shingles typically starts with abnormal localised skin sensations, ranging from tingling and numbness, to itching, burning and severe pain. It can be accompanied by headaches, fever, chills, stomach upsets and a general feeling of malaise. Within 48 to 72 hours, a chickenpox-like rash develops, starting with red patches that then form clusters of small blisters, which begin to dry and scab three to five days after they first appear.
The defining characteristic is that it is limited to either the right or left side of the body, and does not cross the midline.1 p340b The pain associated with shingles varies considerably from patient to patient, but in some even the slightest touch or breeze causes excruciating spasms.
Generally, shingles is short-lived and the disease runs its course over ten days, although the skin may take longer to recover.
What is PHN?
There is no cure
But it can be prevented
The good news is that both shingles and PHN can be prevented, just like chickenpox, by means of a simple vaccination.
You vaccinate your children against chickenpox. You should absolutely vaccinate yourself and your elder loved ones against its “bigger, bad brother” - shingles.