Shingles
A painful red blistering viral infection of the nerves that supply certain areas of the skin, caused by reactivation of the CHICKEN POX virus (varicella-zoster virus). After causing chicken pox, the virus stays dormant in the child’s body. In some children it can become reactivated and cause shingles.
Symptoms
The main symptom of shingles is a rash on one side of the body that begins as a cluster of red bumps, eventually changing into small blisters that crust over. The child may also feel itchy but will otherwise be well. The rash usually continues to develop for a few days and then completely crusts over and goes away in about seven to 10 days without treatment. Because the nerves have been damaged after the virus attack, after the blisters heal the nerves tend to continue to produce strong pain impulses that may last for weeks or months. This is less likely in younger children, however.
Cause
Although most typically the virus lies dormant in sensory nerves along the spine for many years, if a child’s immune system is weakened the virus can reemerge and migrate along the sensory nerve, breaking out at the receptor ends in the skin. Shingles also may appear in children with LEUKEMIA, those who are undergoing chemotherapy, or children who have had an organ transplant.
Because shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, children with shingles are contagious and can transmit chicken pox to others who are not immune. Direct contact with the rash is necessary for it to be contagious, so the child does not need to stay home from school if the rash is completely covered.
Treatment
There is little that can be done for the rash or the pain afterward, but prompt use of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famcyclovir, or valacyclovir can shorten the rash stage and lessen the chance of pain later. This is why the child should see a doctor as soon as the signs of shingles appear. While the antiviral drugs can shorten the course of the infection, it cannot completely prevent nerve pain following an attack.
Some experts maintain that steroid drugs such as prednisone can prevent this pain. Other treatments include antidepressants and anticonvulsants (these drugs affect chemicals in the body related to pain).
An over-the-counter product called Zostrix or Valtrex (active ingredient: capsaicin, a red pepper derivative) may help relieve the pain. It should only be used once all the blisters have disappeared and should never be applied to active blisters. As a counterirritant Zostrix is designed to be used on unbroken skin.
Complications
Parents should call the pediatrician if the rash involves the child’s eyes, becomes red and drains pus, or lasts more than two weeks.
Prevention
Some research suggests that the chicken pox vaccine may reduce the risk of later developing shingles.
Symptoms
The main symptom of shingles is a rash on one side of the body that begins as a cluster of red bumps, eventually changing into small blisters that crust over. The child may also feel itchy but will otherwise be well. The rash usually continues to develop for a few days and then completely crusts over and goes away in about seven to 10 days without treatment. Because the nerves have been damaged after the virus attack, after the blisters heal the nerves tend to continue to produce strong pain impulses that may last for weeks or months. This is less likely in younger children, however.
Cause
Although most typically the virus lies dormant in sensory nerves along the spine for many years, if a child’s immune system is weakened the virus can reemerge and migrate along the sensory nerve, breaking out at the receptor ends in the skin. Shingles also may appear in children with LEUKEMIA, those who are undergoing chemotherapy, or children who have had an organ transplant.
Because shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, children with shingles are contagious and can transmit chicken pox to others who are not immune. Direct contact with the rash is necessary for it to be contagious, so the child does not need to stay home from school if the rash is completely covered.
Treatment
There is little that can be done for the rash or the pain afterward, but prompt use of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famcyclovir, or valacyclovir can shorten the rash stage and lessen the chance of pain later. This is why the child should see a doctor as soon as the signs of shingles appear. While the antiviral drugs can shorten the course of the infection, it cannot completely prevent nerve pain following an attack.
Some experts maintain that steroid drugs such as prednisone can prevent this pain. Other treatments include antidepressants and anticonvulsants (these drugs affect chemicals in the body related to pain).
An over-the-counter product called Zostrix or Valtrex (active ingredient: capsaicin, a red pepper derivative) may help relieve the pain. It should only be used once all the blisters have disappeared and should never be applied to active blisters. As a counterirritant Zostrix is designed to be used on unbroken skin.
Complications
Parents should call the pediatrician if the rash involves the child’s eyes, becomes red and drains pus, or lasts more than two weeks.
Prevention
Some research suggests that the chicken pox vaccine may reduce the risk of later developing shingles.
Tags: chicken pox, cluster of red bumps, painful red blistering viral infection of the nerves, reactivation of the CHICKEN POX virus, Shingles, skin, small blisters, varicella-zoster virus
Posted in Health and Wellness
Comments (1)
To understand what shingles is—it is a condition caused by the same virus as chicken pox. When you first contract chicken pox virus it causes chicken pox—the next time this same virus emerges, it is referred to as shingles. Primarily, the only way to treat a virus is an antiviral drug. These medications are to be taken about four or five times a day and are to be taken consistently before they will be effective. Now, another form of medication that is used in treating shingles is pain killer drugs. Shingles is extremely painful as well as unsightly and inflammatory.
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