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Jun 24, 2006
Shingles & Stress
by SirGan
 Shingles is a very painful and often debilitating condition characterized by painful skin blisters which erupt on one side of face or body. Typically, these symptoms occur along your chest, abdomen, back, or face, but it may also affect neck, limbs, or lower back. It can be extremely painful, itchy, and tender. Good thing is that after one to two weeks, the blisters heal and form scabs, although the pain continues. Although not too many people know thing- the fact is that shingles comes from the Latin word for belt. That's because the blisters follow a nerves and usually appear in a line, most often on just one side of the back. Good thing is that most people get shingles only once in their lifetime.The cause of shinglesResearches have proven that the condition is caused by the herpes zoster same virus as chickenpox. What happens exactly? Well, it is proven that after one contracts chicken pox, the virus can lie dormant in sensory nerves for decades. So, now the reactivation is needed! The virus is being reactivated when the immune system is weakened by age, disease or unmanaged stress. So, when events occur that decrease the immune system (aging, severe emotional stress, severe illness, or long-term usage of corticosteroids) the immune system is unable to suppress the dormant organisms any longer and they become active again causing infection. The infection is occurring along the pathway of the nerve.
Incidence of the conditionApproximately 300,000 cases of shingles occur every year in the United States. Overall, approximately 20% of those who had chickenpox as children develop shingles at some time in their lives. People of all ages, even children, can be affected, but the incidence increases with age. The incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia, most common complication, increases with age. By age 40, the risk of prolonged pain lasting longer than one month increases to 33%. By age 70, the risk increases to 74%.
Symptoms of shinglesThere are several symptoms of shingles which could be grouped in certain phases!
The first phase is characteristic because shingles often begins with a:
Some people feel only a tingling, painful, or itching sensation in one area of the skin, often on one side of the face, back, or upper abdomen. These are the areas most commonly affected by chickenpox.
In the second phase, a cluster of small, fluid-filled blisters erupts in an area of reddened skin. This area may be extremely sensitive to touch.
During the third phase, after several days, the blisters begin to dry and scab. It is important to remember that all symptoms of shingles are usually gone within three to five weeks. However, some people may have suffer nerve damage that causes pain to continue for months to years after the rash is gone. This condition is called post-herpetic neuralgia.
Disease progression
This is typically how the disease progresses:
Is it contagious?Several researches done in the past have proven that shingles itself is not a very contagious disease. However, everyone should know that the exposure to the rash may cause small children to develop chickenpox. There is also one important thing to know- pregnant women, adults who have never had chickenpox, and persons with impaired immune systems should be careful because direct contact with anyone suffering from shingles could cause them a serous infection!
Triggers of the conditionIt is proven that shingles can affect both adults and children, but is much more common in older people. Reactivation of the virus is most common in elderly people whose immune system is weakened. There are various possible causes of immunosupression:
Shingles and stress- hypothesisThe very important question is can stress increase our susceptibility to viral infections like Herpes and Shingles? Several researches have been conducted on this mater and most of them have found that stress really plays an important role! The researches have been conducted on astronauts during and after space flight because they had evidence of frequent reactivation of chickenpox. The researches have shown that 30% of astronauts saliva during and after the flight showed such activation while less than 1% did before the flight suggesting that the stress and anxiety of space flight increased risk for shingles. These results indicate that VZV can reactivate sub-clinically in healthy individuals after non-surgical stress.
Diagnosis of shinglesBad thing about this viral infection is that the diagnosis is usually not possible until the skin lesions develop. But once they develop, diagnosis is easy because the pattern and location of the blisters and the type of cell damage displayed are very characteristic of the disease. So, in most cases- usual physical examination would be enough.
Although tests are rarely necessary, they may include the following:
Possible complicationsComplications are very rare but possible, especially in people who have a weakened immune system. They can affect the face near the eye. If this happens an ophthalmologist should be consulted because the surface of the eye can be scarred, which can damage vision.
When shingles affect the ear –it is causing earache, dizziness, deafness and paralysis in the face. This is called Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Although very rare- it is possible that the virus attacks also a brain causing an inflammation called encephalitis. Symptoms can include high fever and confusion.
Very important thing to know is that shingles during pregnancy can be serious because it can lead to pneumonia or even miscarriage.
Treatment of shingles
Good thing about shingles is that they almost always resolves spontaneously and may not require any treatment except for the relief of symptoms.
It is proven that cool, wet compresses may help reduce pain. If there are blisters or crusting, applying compresses made with diluted vinegar will make the patient more comfortable. Most of the patients reported that soothing baths and lotions such as colloidal oatmeal baths, starch baths or lotions, could be really helpful in relieving itching and discomfort.
Important thing to know is that the antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir can be used to treat shingles.
Some researches have suggested that corticosteroids, such as prednisone, may be used to reduce inflammation. Only problem is that they do interfere with the functioning of the immune system.
There is one bad complication of this condition called post-herpetic neuralgia. It is characterized by strong pain for months or even years after the lesions have been healed! This pain can be excruciating. In this case- doctor may prescribe tranquilizers, sedatives, or antidepressants to be taken at night.
Alternative treatment
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