Shingles pain

There are 2 kinds of shingles pain

• 1.) The immediate pain when the initial rash is present.

• 2.) The acute muscle and/or nerve pain that lingers for months or even years after the rash is gone. This occurs in the area where the shingles rash appeared and is called Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) .

The shingles pain that accompanies the original outbreak is often characterized by tenderness and a severe stabbing and/or burning sensation on the skin.

This rash occurs on one side of the body, whether it's on the face, head, scalp, shoulder, ribs, abdomen, groin or thigh. 

The initial acute pain usually peaks with the appearance of the blisters, yet can last anywhere from one to four weeks. 

For some, the pain and the blisters disappear within a month. 

For others, chronic pain can last from weeks to years after the rash disappears.  This condition, called Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), is thought to be caused by damage to the nerves.

In many individuals, the skin is so sensitive that clothing or even a passing breeze cannot be tolerated on the affected area.

Shingles pain

• The physical suffering that occurs with the initial acute rash has been described as tingling, burning, agonizing, excruciating, debilitating, etc. It responds fairly well to treatment and is limited in duration.

• The intense chronic pain with PHN lasts longer, is more difficult to treat and can lead to the inability to perform common everyday tasks and can even cause depression.

For unknown reasons, older people suffer more from PHN than younger people.

Since shingles affects about 35% of of Americans at some point in their lives, cases in young people are not rare, however the disease usually strikes those over 40.

Avoid scratching

Numbing the skin with topical local anesthetics can provide significant relief for some patients.

Because postherpetic itch most often develops in skin with severe sensory loss, scratching too long or too hard on skin that's been numbed can cause injury.

The treatment of shingles pain varies by person - and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

The severity of the shingles occurrence, the modalities used by the health care professional(s) consulted, whether s/he is using western or eastern medical treatments, and even barometric pressure, can all effect the outcome.

Voltaire

credit: newsdaily.com

credit: healthwritings.com

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