The Spring Festival holiday has just passed, the partners opened a 7-day “I play high, ignore me” do not disturb mode has been canceled, and began another year of overtime dog journey. This week’s intoxication, day and night reversal, gourmet meal after the fragrance still remains mouth. This time some people have abdominal pain, most people will think it may be eating bad stomach, suffering from gastroenteritis, but ignore the possibility of suffering from it regardless of it can make people pain to the second year of the disease – shingles, commonly known as “snake wrapped around the waist”.
Next, follow the doctor from a few common clinical Q & A conversations to learn more about shingles!
How do I know if I have shingles if I have stomach pains?
Herpes zoster is often preceded by a number of triggers of decreased resistance, such as exertion, alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, or if you have had a transplant (liver, kidney, bone marrow, etc.) and have been taking immunosuppressive drugs for a long time. And this disease occurs in the elderly.
The pain of herpes zoster is overwhelmingly unilateral, occurring only on the left side or only on the right side. There may be nothing wrong with the skin at the beginning of the pain, and after a few days, clusters of small red rashes or even blisters are born on the skin in the painful area.
If you have any of these signs, beware of shingles!
Why do I have shingles?
The culprit of shingles is the varicella-zoster virus, which can also cause chickenpox.
The truth is that the virus entered the body a long time ago through the respiratory tract and became chickenpox or a hidden infection.
Why is it painful?
The varicella zoster virus is reactivated and invades the nerves and ganglia, destroying them, causing them to adhere, inflaming them and producing a painful sensation, which may be felt differently by different people specifically: itching, burning, pins and needles, electric shocks, or even colic.
If shingles occurs in the abdomen, the painful sensation can easily be mistaken for something like gastroenteritis or stomach pain, thus missing the best time to treat shingles.
How long does it take for shingles to heal?
Shingles in young people usually heals in about 2 weeks of treatment, while older patients may need 3 to 4 weeks of treatment and care. The repair of nerves is much slower than the improvement of the skin, so the persistence of pain is possible even after the skin has healed.
Neuralgia lasting more than 1 month is what medically we call postherpetic neuralgia.
According to statistics, the probability of developing post-herpetic neuralgia in elderly people over 60 years old is 50%. Therefore, the earlier treatment is given, the more significant it is for the elderly.
Can shingles recur?
Herpes zoster heals with lifelong immunity and recurrence is rare. 3/4 of recurrent shingles in the United States are in people with HIV infection.
What do I need to do to live with shingles?
During treatment, you need to take your medication as prescribed, drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest, and avoid drinking alcohol.
Importantly, since herpes zoster and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, patients are advised to keep a distance from children or pregnant women so that they do not get chickenpox.
So let’s take a look at how shingles is treated in general medicine!
1.Anti-viral
Oral vacciclovir (acyclovir, ganciclovir, famciclovir) + topical acyclovir cream
2, pain relief
Oral various painkillers (gabapentin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, etc.) + narrow-spectrum ultraviolet radiation + local topical pain cream (lidocaine, capsaicin cream, etc.)
3.Prevention of secondary infection
Furnaceolide lotion for unbroken blisters to dry and stop itching, and topical mupirocin ointment for broken blisters.
4.Anti-inflammatory
If combined with bacterial infection, oral antibiotics are needed to reduce inflammation
5.Shorten the course of the disease
Nerve nutrition (vitamin B1, vitamin B12) + narrow-spectrum ultraviolet radiation.
Warm tip: varicella zoster virus can invade the chest, back, waist, legs, hands and even the nerves of the head and face, if it involves the eyes, be sure to go to the ophthalmology consultation in case it affects the vision Oh!