Stress causes damage to the body. One of them may be the detonation of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, so proper management of physical and emotional stress can help prevent this extremely painful disease, said Dr. Gerardo Medina Gálvez, coordinator of Medical Programs at the Directorate of Medical Benefits of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS).
He explained that when a person suffered from chickenpox, usually in childhood; the virus stays lodged in the tissue of the nervous system and later, when the organism is weak, the defenses drop and a state of immunosuppression is entered, it reactivates and generates shingles.
He stressed that this disease is usually benign, the most serious sequel is pain, however there are more severe manifestations that can affect any part of the face, the eye, the cornea, and even the brain (viral encephalitis) and cause problems health serious.
The Social Security specialist warned that other risk factors are suffering from diseases such as chronic kidney failure, Human Insufficiency Virus, patients with cancer or chemotherapy, diabetes or hypertension, as well as poorly treated infections that weaken the immune system and they leave you vulnerable.
He stressed that chronic fatigue, extreme tiredness or anxiety are conditions that undermine the immune system, so they can also trigger the disease. Doctor Medina Gálvez said that the duration of the disease can range from 3 to 5 weeks and that it can be contagious when it is in the vesicle phase.
He reiterated that shingles is a viral infection, from the same group that causes chickenpox, which causes an extremely painful skin infection, it can occur anywhere on the body, but it occurs more frequently on the torso. As the disease progresses, there is a rash along the course of the nerve, redness, numbness, tingling, and later blisters or vesicles that break and crust over.
Regarding the symptoms of the disease, Dr. Medina Gálvez explained that at first they are non-specific because it can simply be a very painful area in any part of the chest and excessively increased sensitivity, where the rubbing of clothing is not tolerated, general malaise, fever and decay.
The Social Security doctor stressed the importance of having an accurate diagnosis and that for this the patient’s history of illnesses must be known, be very careful in the clinical involvement that manifests itself, to determine that it follows a nervous path; and visualize lesions that have very characteristic features. He pointed out that when the diagnosis has been established, the treatment includes the intake of antivirals such as Acyclovir, which help reduce the time of the disease.
To help control the spread of the virus, it is recommended to keep the rash covered, not to touch or scratch it, and to wash your hands frequently, the specialist advised. This condition most often affects older adults, the risk increases with age. There are statistics that estimate that 50 percent of people over 80 years of age may suffer from it.
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