Shingles

Shingles

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Shingles

Introduction

Shingles is defined as a viral infection that is caused by a virus known as Herpes Zoster. It is also known as Varicella-Zoster Virus. Shingles is defined as an outbreak of any kind of rash or some kind of blister on the skin that may appear similar to chickenpox. It may appear on one side of the face or the body, taking into account that this rash appears in the form of acne which stays for about seven to ten days (Cates, et al. 2019). Research has proven that using shingles vaccine can help to reduce the risk of shingles by 50% to 90%, but, the measure of recovery depends on the type of medicine that is used. It is found that about one-third of the people develop shingles at some point in their lives, where the larger ratio belongs to older people (Cates, et al. 2019). Although children may also get shingles, by their ratio is far less as compared to the youngsters and older people. The cases of shingles are 1.2 – 3.4 per 1000 persons per year, where, the ratio of 3.9-11.8 refers to those who are older than 65 years of age. Among these older people, the ratio of those suffering from shingles would refer to the population who is 85 years old with at least one attack per year and 5% of the total older population will have more than one attacks per year (Cates, et al. 2019).

Discussion

There are two stages of shingles, one stage is called active stage, and the other is prodromal stage that refer to the existence of symptoms without any kind of rash. However, rash appears in the active stage (Shafran, et al. 2019). There are several facts and myths that are associated with Shingles, taking into account that each of the facts is guided by a reason where myths are self-articulated.

Contingency of shingles

Many people think that Shingles is not contagious while others think that shingles is contagious. The individuals who have never had chickenpox and those who have not received the vaccine for chickenpox are more susceptible to shingles, a virus infection (Shafran, et al. 2019). Moreover, it is found that shingles is contagious for the people who ever had chickenpox because of the transmission of the varicella-zoster virus, also called (VZV). It is asserted that the rash caused by shingles is not at all contagious because the rash is not transmutable from one individual to the other. This phenomenon highlights that shingles is not contagious. However, shingles can pass the virus, that is transfers in the form of rash blisters from one individual to the other, where the other individual can become infected by the varicella-zoster virus only if the individual is not immune to the VZV Virus and he/she may develop chickenpox (Shafran, et al. 2019). It is asserted that that there are some major changes that appear on the body, after a few days of symptoms such as burning, numbness, skin tingling, and something tickling usually on one side of the body. After the appearance of a rash and subsequently followed by the formation of blisters, the patient may begin to spread the virus in the form of some skin lesions that may be contagious (Shafran, et al. 2019). Many cases are found in which an individual may develop shingles later in their lives just because of the chickenpox infection. In this manner, it is asserted that shingles can be considered to be contagious but in an indirect way. It is also added that as varicella-zoster virus infection is usually contagious in the form of chickenpox, this infection may lead to the development of shingles in some patients. So, it would not be wrong to say that shingles is contagious in an indirect way, i.e. by the spread of chickenpox (Shafran, et al. 2019).

Causes of Shingles

In order to understand the causes of singles, it is necessary to know the symptoms that appears before the onset of shingles. These signs and symptoms usually affect a small section or one side of the body. These symptoms are, sensitivity to touch, numbness, pain or burning. Sometimes shingles start by the appearance of red rash that will begin after the few days of pain, leading to the formation of blisters that can be fluid-filled and they may break open or crust over. Itching is also termed as one of the major symptoms. However, there are a number of people who may experience headache, fever, fatigue, and sensitivity to light as a symptom of shingles (Shafran, et al. 2019).

Usually, shingles occur on the patient's torso or some other extremities, while some also have reported it to occur on the face. Anyone who ever had chickenpox may become a victim to shingles taking into account that when an in-individual recovers from chickenpox, the virus enters into the body, reaching the nervous system. This virus may lie in the nervous system as dormant for years. This virus remains in spinal nerves but not in the ganglia after an individual had chickenpox. About 290-25% of the shingles infection occur in the individuals who are having age less than 20 years (Shafran, et al. 2019). Moreover, shingles can even damage the unborn baby as well as a child that is newborn if the mother of the child had developed chickenpox during the pregnancy. There are a number of cases in which, it is not clear why the virus varicella-zoster began multiplying or cause shingles. It is asserted that the development of shingles in pregnant women is very uncommon (Shafran, et al. 2019). However, there are a number of other suggestion in terms of causative agents of shingles such as weekend immune system, older age, any kind of disease such as HIV, AIDS or any other cancer. Research has highlighted that shingles is also caused as a reaction to different treatments such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy because their treatments lower the ability of the person to resists a disease. Stress is also termed as one major causative agent of shingles, accompanied by traumas. There are some medications such as immunosuppressive disorders or other treatments that are prescribed by the doctor for creating a person's residence to disease which may cause shingles (Shafran, et al. 2019).

Cure for Shingles

According to research, it is highlighted that there is no well-defined treatment for shingles. However, there are numerous strategies that can be used to lower down the causative agents or the sensation attached to the feeling of shingles (Shafran, et al. 2019).

Conditions for seeking medical help

As shingles is termed as an infection that has no well-defined and well structure course of medicine, there are some conditions in which a patient should seek medical help. If a patient develops shingles near the nose or eye then emergency medical care should be accessed. However, the patients who are already undergoing some medical treatments in the form of chemotherapy and radiation therapies should also seek immediate medical help because shingles is caused in them because of lack of immune system (Shafran, et al. 2019).

A physician suggests medicine that could help an individual to control the infection by cutting the inflammation that is the cause and speeds up healing. Medicines are prescribed that can help to ease the pain. It is found that the prescriptions vary from person to person and age to age because it is not necessary that all the patients are suffering from shingles under the impact of a common fact or suffering (Sullivan, et al. 2019).

Antiviral medications

Antiviral medications are those medicines that can slow down the progress of rashes of shingles, taking into account the medicine would be extra beneficial if it would be taken within 72 hours of having symptoms. These antiviral medications include Famciclovir, acyclovir, and Valacyclovir (Sullivan, et al. 2019).

Painkillers

As inflammation is a byproduct of shingles, so, painkillers are suggested to reduce the pain. There are several medicines that are suggested to relieve the milder discomfort. Such, medicines may include acetaminophen, naproxen, and ibuprofen (Sullivan, et al. 2019). These medicines can also play a major role in staving off the postherpetic neuralgia. It is defined as a burning pain that some of the people face after the rash and the blisters caused by shingles go away (Sullivan, et al. 2019).

Other prescriptions

There are several other prescriptions that are suggested by the physician so that major complications can be overcome. It may include cream that can be applied to the face or the place of shingles (Sullivan, et al. 2019). Many of the physicians also prescribe numbing medicine such as Lidocaine for pain. This may appear in a variety of forms such as patches, sprays, creams, lotions, and powders. Antibiotics are also suggested by some physicians taking into account that antibiotics are meant to treat the infection that is caused by bacteria in the form of rashes on the skin. However, if there are no chances of bacteria then antibiotics are not prescribed (Sullivan, et al. 2019). There are a lot of physicians who suggest Antidepressants because these medians might help to relieve the pain that is felt by a patient after the skin is healed. Antidepressants can be amitriptyline and nortriptyline which help to reduce depression. However, these antidepressants have to be taken with great care and concern because it would work only if depression is found to be a reason behind shingles (Sullivan, et al. 2019).

References

Cates, M. J. (2019). I156 Chickenpox and shingles vaccination in rheumatology patients. Rheumatology, 58(Supplement_3), kez109-155.

Shafran, S. D. (2019). Prevention of Shingles: Better Protection and Better Value With Recombinant Vaccine. Annals of internal medicine, 170(6), 416-417.

Sullivan, N. L., Eberhardt, C. S., Wieland, A., Vora, K. A., Pulendran, B., & Ahmed, R. (2019). Understanding the immunology of the Zostavax shingles vaccine. Current opinion in immunology, 59, 25-30.