It is a dangerous infectious disease caused by the VZV virus, which is the same virus that causes smallpox. The primary infection occurs during the course of the disease, usually during childhood. The virus makes itself felt only after years, when the body’s immunity decreases (e.g. as a result of aging), then it activates and multiplies. Therefore, the elderly are most often affected by it, and children much less frequently. How to recognize this rare disease? And more importantly, how do you get rid of shingles?
Shingles is an invasive, problematic disease because it causes severe pain, which after some time takes the form of a characteristic rash located at the site of pain. Specific stripes appear along the infected nerves. Usually, the disease affects mostly elderly people, but it happens that shingles also occurs in children with very weak immunity, i.e. suffering from leukemia or being HIV carriers. People who have undergone a bone marrow transplant are also at risk, as in the first year after the transplant, as many as 20% of them attack shingles. One of the most important characteristics of shingles is that it is contagious. A sick person is contagious with chickenpox for the first 3 to 5 days. In conclusion, the risk of infection is particularly increased in people:
- older, over 60,
- during severe inflammations and infections,
- HIV carriers and AIDS patients,
- cancer patients (their immunity is significantly weakened by chemotherapy),
- living under stress, having little rest, weakened,
- after transplants,
- vaccinated.
Shingles symptoms
You can easily overlook the first symptoms of the disease. They go unnoticed for a simple reason. This is because the patient is usually very weak, and therefore does not pay attention to the emerging changes and attributes his malaise to, for example, the medications taken. In addition to the general weakness of the body, after some time more disturbing symptoms appear:
- excessive sweating,
- not feeling well,
- tiredness,
- headaches,
- sore throat
- fever,
- mood swings.
Sometimes only one of the symptoms is present, other times the patient experiences them all at once. Unfortunately, there are no rules here, so careful observation of your own body is necessary. The initial symptoms usually precede the subsequent ones, which appear in a short period of time. You’re unlikely to ignore these anymore, or misassign them a simple debuff. There will be acute pain, hypersensitivity and hypersensitivity (itching, tingling), and after 2-3 days a rash. It is most often located in the thoracic and lumbar region, as well as in the trigeminal nerve.
Can you beat shingles? How to be treated?
Time plays a huge role in the treatment of shingles. Therefore, it is important to carefully observe the body, identifying symptoms. As soon as possible after their occurrence, you should contact a doctor (the best choice is a dermatologist), who will immediately be able to use special antiviral drugs and prevent the spread of the disease. He will select the appropriate antiviral and analgesic drugs, sometimes also anti-inflammatory drugs, which are supposed to inhibit the growth of bacteria. During treatment, the patient should support his body by taking high doses of vitamin B. The affected areas are usually lubricated with disinfectant and analgesic ointments. Forget about tempting piercing, scratching and squeezing blisters and scabs. It is necessary to stay in bed during treatment, drink plenty of fluids – usually only for a few days.