What Can I Do For Shingles Nerve Pain

As hard as it may be avoid scratching your blisters which will open them up and make them more susceptible to infection.

What can i do for shingles nerve pain.

Even though a blistering rash is characteristic of the condition the pain can precede the rash often the earliest signs and symptoms are a tingling or burning sensation on the skin. Roughly 30 to 60 of people over age 60 who get shingles go on to develop a chronic pain syndrome called post herpetic neuralgia. The sensation can start days before the blisters appear. Some people develop complications after shingles including nerve pain called post herpetic neuropathy.

Learn about treatment options from a pain management specialist. Even worse phn can last weeks months or even years beyond a breakout. Shingles recovery tends to follow a pattern and may take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks or more. Shingles itself comes from reactivation of a chickenpox virus varicella zoster.

However the varicella zoster virus remains dormant in the body and can be reactivated many years later as shingles formally known as herpes zoster hz which affects the nerve clusters in specific areas and causes pain or itching. Shingles typically develops along the path of one nerve on one side of the body. If you have shingles symptoms get treatment now and you may avoid permanent nerve pain. Any part of your body can be affected including your face and eyes although the chest and abdomen tummy are the most common areas where shingles develops.

Depending on which nerves are affected shingles can cause an inflammation of the brain encephalitis facial paralysis or hearing or balance problems. The virus travels down nerve fibers to cause a painful skin rash. Find out what the recovery stages of shingles are and how you can help minimize the symptoms. After an outbreak the nerve damage can cause pain that persists for months or even years.

Shingles in or around an eye ophthalmic shingles can cause painful eye infections that may result in vision loss. Shingles a viral infection of the nerve roots affects 1 million people in the u s each year. To reduce irritation and itching make a paste out of 3 tablespoons of baking soda mixed with 1 teaspoon of water. The main symptoms are pain followed by a rash.

When the rash goes away the pain usually goes. Postherpetic neuralgia phn is the worst aspect of dealing with a shingles herpes zoster outbreak.