Shingles: photos, symptoms and treatment, causes

Herpes zoster is an infectious disease that develops when the varicella-zoster virus is activated in the body, which remains in the nerve nodes after a person has suffered a small chicken pox.

Refers to the causative agent of the disease to the group of herpes viruses that have the property of lifetime presence in the human body.

People who have a physiological( in old age) or, due to pathological reasons, a decrease in immunity, are more likely to get sick.

The pathology is characterized by painful eruptions in the form of vesicles localized in the region of one or more nerve endings. In contact with such a person, those who have not yet contracted chickenpox, carry the infection in the form of chickenpox( see the first symptoms of chickenpox).

The virus is transmitted by drop, by contact, and also from the mother to the child. In the form of shingles, the disease will manifest in that newborn whose mother has suffered from chickenpox in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Smori also, deprive a person and his species.

Causes of shingles

The virus that causes herpes zoster in humans affects the cells of the nervous system( neurons) and the cells of the upper layer of the skin.

After suffering varicella, the virus penetrates through the skin and mucous membranes into the blood and lymph, with its current penetrating into the nerve nodes located between the vertebrae, as well as directly into the spinal cord.

There the microbe persists for a long time, and is activated when the human immunity decreases. When this happens, and how long the incubation period will last, it is not known in any particular case.

The disease develops in people of different ages, but more often such groups of people suffer:

• of the elderly;
  
• after chemotherapy or radiotherapy;
  
• after severe stress or chronic disturbed psychoemotional condition;
  
• in patients with HIV;
  
• after supercooling;
  
• for oncological diseases;
  
• after organ transplant, including bone marrow.

The skin of the chest( along the intercostal spaces) most often suffers, in the second place( in ¼ cases) the scalp and face suffer, the disease develops a little in the region of the sacrum and waist, in 8% of cases, the shingles appear on the lower extremities. The disease manifests itself in the area that the nerve exits from that nerve node in which the inactive varicella-zoster virus is "slumbering".

Symptoms of shingles

The first symptoms of herpes zoster start with a painful syndrome in the place where rashes will appear soon. A person feels pain along the nerve involved in the process.

On the skin, from which sensitive endings come to this nerve, burning sensation, itching, intense pain, which changes when the position of the body changes, is felt. Soon on these sites the skin turns red, and on the 3-5th day of the disease there appear directly the rashes themselves, having the following characteristics:

• vesicles with clear contents, when suppuration their contents become whitish, cloudy;
  
• elements of the rash are arranged in groups along the nerve trunks;
  
• bubbles can merge with each other;
  
• are located on the reddened skin;
  
• one-sided arrangement of the vesicles( that is, they can not be on the chest to the right and left);
  
• with the appearance of a rash skin itching and pain decrease slightly;
  
• for 1-2 weeks in the same area there is the appearance of additional elements of the rash.

If the virus in the nerve node of the facial nerve has activated, its paralysis may occur: the face becomes asymmetrical, it becomes difficult to inflate the cheeks or bite the teeth( the cheek sags, as it were).The rash in this case is localized in the region of the auricle.

In addition to the rash, the general condition also suffers, which is manifested by the following symptoms:

• the temperature rises up to 38 ° C( less often - up to 40 ° C);
  
• malaise;
  
• headache;
  
• nausea;
  
• vomiting;
  
• lymph nodes increase.

Oral mucous membranes of the oral cavity may be affected( this occurs more often in young children): a bubble rash develops in the mouth and on the gums, which quickly opens and erosions and ulcers remain in its place. This is accompanied by high fever, headache, vomiting, and even convulsions and a violation of consciousness.

In severe cases, the rash can spread all over the body, affecting the internal organs. The organs of the nervous system may also be affected: the lesion of the nerve roots, nodes, and also the membranes of the brain and its substance itself develops. These life-threatening conditions most often develop in people with severe depression of the immune system.

Look also, the symptoms of pink lichen and color lichen.

Treatment of shingles

In severe shingles, as well as in the defeat of the nervous system, patients are hospitalized in an infectious inpatient to provide them with the necessary treatment.

The remaining patients are treated at home:

1. 1) To prevent the infection of the blisters of the rash, they are treated with antiseptic solutions: brilliant green, fucorcin.
   
2. 2) In order to reduce the pain syndrome prescribed painkillers( "Ibuprofen", "Diclofenac", "Ketanov").
   
3. 3) In case of neuritis of the facial or trigeminal nerve, "Finlepsin", "Carbamazepine", "Gabagamma", "Lyrics" are prescribed.
   
4. 4) Antiviral agents are used: Acyclovir( Zovirax, Medovir, Virolex) in the form of tablets, and in case of CNS involvement, injections. Valaciclovir and famciclovir drugs are also effective.
   
5. 5) In cases of lesions of the nervous system, a specific antiviral immunoglobulin is prescribed, that is, ready antibodies against the virus that causes shingles. It is administered strictly according to the scheme, once every 48 hours. Dosage depends on the person's age.
   
6. 6) B group vitamins( Neurovitan, Neurorubin, Milgamma) - to improve the permeability of impulses to the affected nerve fibers.

See also how to treat pityriasis and lichen in a person.

Consequences of

The most common infection is the elements of the rash. In this case, abscesses, phlegmon can develop. End such inflammation can sepsis, development of defeat of kidneys, heart, joints.

When treating a child's disease with aspirin, Reye's syndrome with liver and brain damage can develop. As a result of erosion, rashes on the mucous membranes of the mouth and respiratory tract can cause bleeding, and the edema accompanying them can cause respiratory failure. The eye lesions observed with this disease terminate favorably.

After herpes zoster, which proceeds with a lesion of the nervous system, the following effects can be observed:

• mental retardation;
  
• pareses;
  
• seizures;
  
• paralysis of the facial, trigeminal, optic nerves;
  
• neuritis of the cranial nerves with visual or hearing impairment.

In most cases, the forecast is favorable. It is unfavorable only in cases of severe disease, with the development of encephalitis.

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