Kolkata, July 24 (Bureau) Many people believe that shingles or herpes zoster is just a skin condition and need not be considered serious. But this is not true. “ Shingles is a skin disease resulting from a serious viral infection affecting nerves. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, “ Prof (Dr.) Sanjay Ghosh, Consultant Dermatologist told UNI. “The virus remains inactive in the body’s nerves after a person recovers from chickenpox and can reactivate anytime later, largely in ageing adults with weakened immunity to cause shingles,” he said. “ Even if you do not remember having suffered from chickenpox anytime in your life, you may have been exposed to the virus at some point, which could have enabled it to remain latent in your nerves,” he claimed. The studies show that this virus is present in over 90 percent of Indians by the age of 40 years, he said. “The reason why shingles is so painful and dangerous is that the virus primarily involves the nerves.”
Shingles begins as a rash with acute pain on one side of the chest, back, face, limbs, or neck. The rash resembles a band of reddish blisters filled with fluid, which burst and start to crust over. In most cases, for the first few days, it appears very similar to an allergic rash or insect bite reaction and patients do not usually consult a doctor at this stage. The severe pain that comes with or after the rash makes them seek medical attention. “ Sometimes, the pain can also begin before the rash; in such cases, the diagnosis becomes difficult, even for doctors,” he opined. The confusing nature of shingles symptoms in the early days often leads to a delayed diagnosis. This delay can prove to be dangerous and lead to other severe complications. The medicines against the virus must start within 2-3 days to be most effective. After that, despite medication, there is a high risk of complications. Hence, vaccination is essential and easier to help prevent shingles and its complications, he suggested. The most critical complication is ‘post-herpetic neuralgia’.
Around 10 percent to 50 percent of ageing patients suffer from this complication which causes persistent nerve pain even after the rash subsides. This pain, one of the worst pain humans can suffer, can incapacitate patients, and increase their dependence on caregivers[i]. Currently, no treatment is completely effective to cure this pain. Vaccination can help to save patients from this excruciating experience. Another complication commonly seen in patients is a secondary bacterial infection of the rash. This usually occurs in people with diabetes and takes around two to three weeks to heal with the help of antibiotics, but it can leave behind severe ugly scarring. Sometimes, shingles can also affect the nerves around the eyes and cause pain and swelling, leading to vision loss in certain cases.
People above the age of 50 years are more vulnerable to shingles because as people age, their immunity weakens, which can cause the virus to reactivate. They must be vigilant and consult a dermatologist immediately if they get a painful rash, the medic maintained. Many years ago, when the anti-viral medications for shingles were introduced, there was hesitancy to take those because people believed that the body’s immune system could fight the virus effectively. Only when doctors and patients experienced the results, and a decrease in complications did these medications become the mainstay in therapy for shingles. “ Now, science has given us an even more powerful tool in the form of vaccination, and we should take advantage of it, as we all know that ‘prevention is better than cure’! Vaccination is a safe and effective tool to prevent shingles and its complications. Every adult above the age of 50 years should get vaccinated against shingles,” he recommended.