Herpes Zoster, contagion and treatment

When the first contact of the virus with the person, the. This can happen in both children and adults, whether they have been vaccinated and exposed to the virus or not. A few days after the first contact with the virus, a characteristic generalized skin rash appears that presents lesions in different evolutionary phases at once:

• Papules (pink spots) • Vesicles (blisters) • Scabs This pattern is characteristic of chickenpox and is known as "starry sky". It is usually accompanied by itchiness widespread, low-grade fever and slight affectation of the general state. Is contagious from the first day of contact with the virus, even if the skin lesion has not yet appeared, although the condition remits in a week or two. It ceases to be contagious when all lesions are scabbing over. The virus will then go into a dormant or inactive phase.

When the virus reactivates

Over the years, the virus can be reactivated and cause a different symptomatology: herpes zoster, which is characterized by a vesicular rash, typically distributed along the path of a nerve or dermatome and associated with pain. pain may well appear before the vesicular lesion appears. In most cases, these symptoms remit in a few weeks and the virus reverts to a latent phase. However, complications and / or frequent recurrences may appear.

When a person has shingles, it begins with mild symptoms of Bad general state (typical of viral infection). After a few days, the acne (punctate pink lesions that evolve to the formation of vesicles and later to crusts) distributed along a dermatome (nervous path) unilateral. The most commonly affected dermatome is usually the thoracic, followed by lumbar, cervical and ophthalmic. The pain located in this area is stabbing or burning.

Shingles is more common in over 50 years and in patients with diseases that alter the immune system. Later reinfections are frequent in these groups and in young people subjected to a high level of stress.

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis it is usually confirmed by inspection of the lesions and their pattern of distribution. The starry sky image is very characteristic. Normally it is not necessary to carry out any additional test. In case of diagnostic doubt, they can be used. The treatment it is symptomatic and, therefore, aimed at alleviating pain (shortening its intensity and duration), as well as other symptoms that may appear (low-grade fever, itching and bacterial superinfection).

There is currently a live virus vaccine containing the varicella-zoster virus and helps to reduce the risk of reactivation of the virus in the form of herpes zoster in adults and the elderly. In the event that shingles develops in a vaccinated person, the severity of symptoms is less. The vaccine has shown efficacy in reducing the incidence of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia.

Complications of a shingles

The postherpetic neuralgia It is the most frequent of the complications and is characterized by the persistence of symptoms for weeks (local stabbing or burning pain, tingling, hypersensitivity…) in the dermatome affected by the virus. It lasts for at least a month after the appearance of the vesicles. Family Medicine Specialist