[건강이 최고] When immunity is weakened, the chickenpox virus reactivates in the body.
One of the diseases that often occurs when immunity drops sharply during seasonal changes is ‘herpes zoster.’
Shingles is a chickenpox virus infected in childhood that lies dormant in the spinal ganglion and becomes active when the immune system is low, such as during seasonal changes with large daily temperature differences, causing extreme pain, rashes, and herpes on the skin. It is characterized by blisters that form in a band on one side of the body and causes pain that is worse than colic and postoperative pain.
The precursor symptoms of shingles are high fever, body aches, and pain in the area where the rash will occur. It burns, feels like being pricked by a needle, itches, and hurts even more when you rub it.
The duration can range from 2-3 days to over a week. Afterwards, a skin rash occurs, and the skin lesions appear red and turn into blisters or suppurations, which then form ulcers and heal as scabs form. At this time, traces such as scars, pigmentation, or discoloration may be left behind.
Skin lesions usually do not extend beyond the midline to the contralateral side and occur along one or more nerve segments. It usually occurs in the area where the prodromal pain occurred, and the pain usually gradually decreases as the skin lesion heals, but it may persist or increase and may be accompanied by itching.
However, people in their 60s or older are at high risk of suffering from complications if they contract shingles. 40% of people over 60 years of age and 50% of people over 70 years of age suffer from ‘postherpetic neuralgia’, a complication of shingles. Postherpetic neuralgia refers to pain that continues even after skin lesions have improved or 4 months after the lesions occurred. It mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and those taking immunosuppressants. It is known that when young people are exposed to shingles, they get better quickly.
When treating shingles, it is important to reduce mental and physical stress, provide sufficient sleep and nutrition, and start antiviral treatment within 72 hours of the rash. In principle, antiviral medications are to be taken for one week, but it can be extended.
Lee Woo-yong, a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at Sanggye Paik Hospital, said, “If the pain is too severe or there is a high risk of developing post-herpetic neuralgia, we can help by performing repetitive nerve blocks in addition to painkillers to actively suppress pain.”
Professor Lee added, “If postherpetic neuralgia has already progressed, nerve blocks may not be very effective, so you should consider taking various medications for neuropathic pain.”
Meanwhile, research has shown that even young people in their 20s with liver cirrhosis have a 41% higher risk of developing shingles and are more likely to suffer from severe illness.
This is the result of an analysis of 504,986 patients with liver cirrhosis over the age of 20 by a team led by Professor Choi Jong-gi of the Department of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center in Seoul. According to the study, the risk of developing shingles was highest in young liver cirrhosis patients in their 20s. The risk of developing shingles in patients with cirrhosis was higher than that of the general public: 41% in those in their 20s, 16% in their 30s, 17% in their 40s, 8% in their 50s, 8% in their 60s, and 6% in their 70s.
Daeik Kwon Medical reporter [email protected]
0 0 Share Save
2023-10-22 02:20:00
#Risk #shingles #painful #colic #seasonal #daily #temperature #range #increases
