Shingles : rapid review

•  Introduction.
•  Symptoms.
•  Infection.
•  complications.
•  Treatment and drugs.
•  Prevention.

Introduction:-

• Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash on one side of the body. Often appears as a band of blisters that wraps between 2-3 weeks.
• Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox). After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.
• Causes of reactivation are unknown but mostly due to decreased immunity (more occurrence>50 years) and stress. 
• While it isn't a life-threatening condition, shingles can be very painful.

Symptoms:-

• Pain, burning, numbness or tingling.
• A red rash that begins a few days after the pain.
• Fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over.
• Itching.

• Fever and chills.
• General achiness.
• Headache.
• Fatigue.

**Contact your doctor promptly if you suspect shingles, but especially in the following situations:

• The pain and rash occur near your eyes. If left untreated, this infection can lead to permanent eye damage.
• You or someone in your family has a weakened immune system (due to cancer, medications or chronic illness).
• The rash is widespread and painful.

• You can't catch shingles from someone else who has shingles. But a person with a shingles rash can spread chickenpox to another person who hasn't had chickenpox and who hasn't gotten the chickenpox vaccine. 
• If you have shingles, you are contagious especially the open sores of the shingles rash so avoid direct contact with people (especially newborns, pregnant women, any one has a weak immune system) until shingles blisters scab over. 
• Having had chickenpox can develop shingles.

Complications:- 

• Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again.

• Complications from shingles can range from a mild to severe, ranging from minor skin infections to post herpetic neuralgia (damaged nerve fibers with exaggerated pain).
• Other problems may be Vision loss, Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, Hearing or balance problems, Facial paralysis.
• If shingles blisters aren't properly treated, bacterial skin infections may develop.

• An episode of shingles usually heals on its own within a few weeks, but prompt treatment can ease pain, speed healing and reduce your risk of complications.
• There is no cure for shingles, but treatment may help you get well sooner and prevent other problems.

• Acyclovir (Zovirax), Valacyclovir (Valtrex), Famciclovir (Famvir).
• Drugs for the pain such as: Narcotics (e.g. oxycodone).
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline
• Anticonvulsants, such as gabapentin (Neurontin).
• Numbing agents, such as lidocaine, delivered via a cream, gel, spray or skin patch.

• Anti-itch cream or calamine lotion.
• Oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others).

Prevention:-

• Two vaccines may help prevent shingles :  the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine and the shingles (varicella-zoster) vaccine.

• Varicella-zoster is part of a group of viruses called herpes viruses, which includes the viruses that cause cold sores and genital herpes. Because of this, shingles is also known as herpes zoster. But the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles is not the same virus responsible for cold sores or genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease.

Posted by Unknown on 1/31/2011. Filed under dermatology, diseases, featured, microbiology, rapid reviews, virology . You can subscribe to the site updates through the RSS 2.0 or by Email