Herpes zoster, the silent virus

The Herpes zoster It is a frequent infectious disease that usually heals spontaneously in most of the cases. However, between 9 and 14% of patients suffer their worst sequelae: chronic pain or postherpetic neuralgia .

Despite the fact that the most affected sector is that of older adults, it is estimated that 20% of the population suffers from this disease at some point in their lives and every year between 1 and 5 inhabitants of every thousand contract it.

Early treatment with antivirals prevents the onset of this complication that is also known by the not-so-pleasant name of shingles.

In the opinion of Dr. Aurora Guerra, professor of Dermatology at the Complutense University of Madrid, it is a very frequent disease of the skin caused by the virus known as varicella zoster , which is among the most widespread infectious agents in the world.

The first infection with the virus varicella zoster causes the well-known chicken pox. Once this disease has been overcome, the virus remains dormant in the nerve ganglia, from where it can reappear by descending through the corresponding nerves and reaching the skin.

 

Burning, ulcers and scabs

The first symptom is usually pain on only one side of the body, tingling or burning sensation. These can be intense and usually occur before any rash appears.

In most cases patches are formed on the skin, followed by small blisters that when broken, form small ulcers that begin to dry and crust, which fall in two to three weeks.

The rash can compromise the face, eyes, mouth and ears; Additional symptoms may include: abdominal pain, chills, difficulty moving some of the muscles in the face, drooping the eyelid, fever and chills.

They also show the feeling of general malaise, genital lesions, headache, partial loss of hearing ability and joint pain; loss of eye movement, inflammation of the lymph nodes, problems in the sense of taste as well as vision.

Possible treatments

The main objective of the treatment of Herpes zoster and its complications is the interruption of the DNA synthesis of the virus, in order to stop its multiplication.

Currently, there are specific and effective antiviral treatments that control this synthesis and that have shown an average 60-day reduction in the duration of pain associated with Herpes zoster in patients older than 50 years and a decrease in the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia of up to 8%, said the dermatologist Guerra.


Video Medicine: Herpes Zoster | INFECTOLOGIA (March 2024).