[그래픽=뉴시스]In the hot summer, the risk of developing shingles increases because the immune system is easily weakened due to a decrease in physical strength. In particular, if the pain persists after the skin lesion has improved or after about a month has passed since the lesion occurred, you should suspect ‘postherpetic neuralgia’ and receive active treatment. (Graphic = Reporter Ahn Ji-hye) hokma@newsis.com. 2023.07.02.
[서울=뉴시스] Reporter Baek Young-mi = In the hot summer, the risk of developing shingles increases because immunity is easily weakened due to reduced physical strength.
In particular, if the pain persists after the skin lesion has improved or after about a month has passed since the lesion occurred, you should suspect ‘postherpetic neuralgia’ and receive active treatment.
According to the medical community on the 2nd, the risk of being exposed to shingles, which bursts through the skin along the nerves and causes extreme pain, increases, not only during the change of seasons with a large daily temperature difference, but also during the hot summer.
Kang Hee-yong, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at Kyung Hee University Hospital, said, “When immunity is weakened in the summer, the latent virus in the body becomes active and damages the nerves, resulting in shingles.” “he said.
Shingles, as the name of the disease means ‘a band-shaped rash’, can cause blisters to rise like a band on one side of the body, excruciating pain like being cut with a knife or burning, and various complications. Usually, when antiviral drugs are administered or taken, scabs form on the blisters within 2 to 3 weeks, and then the scabs fall off and the pain disappears.
However, if the pain continues even after the skin lesion has improved or 1 to 3 months have passed since the lesion occurred, ‘postherpetic neuralgia’ should be suspected. Postherpetic neuralgia is caused by the re-activation of the zoster virus, which causes an inflammatory reaction around the nerve.
Although there are differences depending on the immune status, 1 out of 3 patients with shingles suffers from postherpetic neuralgia. If the pain persists after a month even though the blisters have disappeared and the scab has fallen off, you should be suspicious. Postherpetic neuralgia can be diagnosed if the pain persists for more than 3 months.
Professor Kang said, “The older you are, the more likely your immune system is to fall, and the more likely you are to develop neuralgia after shingles, and women are more likely than men.” It is known that more than half of patients over the age of 70 develop neuralgia. It is also reported to occur 1.5 times more frequently in women than in men.
Neuralgia after shingles can be minimized by administering or taking antiviral drugs in the early stages of infection when the virus amplifies. Professor Kang emphasized, “It is important to take antiviral drugs within 3 days of rash onset,” and emphasized, “Nerve damage caused by the shingles virus should be reduced as soon as possible.” Postherpetic neuralgia is often difficult to treat if it becomes chronic, so it is necessary to prevent nerve damage in the early stages of onset and help nerve regeneration.
Treatment within the first 3 months almost always improves. However, if you leave it unattended and go to the hospital after 6 months to 1 year, the nerves are already damaged, so the pain lasts for a long time and there is a high possibility that depression will accompany it.
[서울=뉴시스]Seongdong-gu, free shingles vaccination for those over 70 years of age. (Photo = provided by Seongdong-gu) 2023.05.28. photo@newsis.com. *Prohibition of resale and DB Neuralgia treatment after shingles is initially combined with drug treatment and nerve block therapy. If the pain is severe, an epidural nerve block is performed along with the administration of antiviral, antidepressant, and anticonvulsant drugs. Epidural nerve block refers to the treatment of injecting drugs such as steroids, nerve anesthetics, and adhesion dissipants into the spinal nerve area.
Individuals should receive appropriate neurological treatment according to their symptoms. The sooner it is done, the higher the chance of a cure, and the more nerve damage can be prevented from progressing.
To prevent neuralgia after shingles, you should try to avoid getting shingles by maintaining your immunity through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sufficient rest.
Adults over the age of 50 may consider getting vaccinated. Vaccination can reduce the risk of developing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia and shorten the duration of pain.
The vaccine for shingles is divided into inactivated vaccine and live vaccine. Live vaccine is a method of inoculating a small amount of live bacteria, and inactivated vaccine is a method of inoculating bacteria in an inactivated state by treating them with heat or chemicals.
Professor Kang said, “There is a research report that killed vaccines are more effective than live vaccines.” If you have had shingles, there is a risk of recurrence, so getting vaccinated 1 year after recovery can lower the risk of recurrence.
Professor Kang said, “If blisters appear on the skin, people usually visit a dermatologist.” “However, if the pain continues despite the skin lesions being healed after sufficient treatment, visit an anesthesiologist and receive a combination of various treatments, such as nerve block,” said Professor Kang. It’s good,” he advised.
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2023-07-02 05:01:00
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