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Its arrival certainly does not go unnoticed due to the painful and annoying symptoms: we are talking about Herpes Zoster, commonly called fire of saint Anthony. It is a disease caused by the Herpes Zoster Virus, which is the virus also responsible for the development of chickenpox. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that once the chickenpox is contracted, the virus is not eradicated from the body, rather remains inactive until the arrival of a factor that causes it to awaken in the form of shingles.
The name Herpes Zoster describes the very nature of the infection. The two terms of Greek origin in fact mean “snake” (herpes) and “belt” (zoster), referring to the vesicular eruptions that appear on the trunk of the body as a sort of belt.
So what are the causes, symptoms and possible treatments in case of shingles? We talked about it with the Professor Leonardo Celleno, Dermatologist and President of AIDECO – Italian Association of Dermatology and Cosmetology.
What is that
“The so-called fire of saint Anthony is a disease caused by the cutaneous expression of Herpes Varicella Zoster Virus, a virus of the Herpes virus family. There chickenpox represents the characteristic pathology of the acute phase of primary infection of the virus, while the shingles is the reactivation of the virus from its latent phase. Herpes Zoster Virus is in fact usually already present in the nerve ganglia of our body (meeting stations of the nerves that come out of the spinal cord and connect with the peripheral nerves) and only when there is a decrease of our immune defenses this manages, so to speak, to take over. This particular virus can indeed remain inactive in the nervous tissue for years or even for a lifetime and only after a strong psycho-physical “stress” can it activate and multiply along the nerve fibers, thus reaching the skin, causing typical injuries of type vesiculo-bullous, erythematous and crusty », explains the Professor.
How it is transmitted
«Viruses belonging to the Herpes Varicella Zoster Virus family they are easily transmitted from person to person, through the emission of particles coming from the respiratory tract of a sick person. As for the actual herpetic pathology of shingles, however, one must not be excessively afraid of its transmissibility because, as already mentioned, one comes into contact with the virus already in the first years of life. In case of rash of herpes varicella zoster, the fluid contained in the blisters it is equally contagious and only by touching the lesions can we become infected: contact with this in younger subjects who have not been vaccinated and who have not had chickenpox, can cause the skin rash typical of the disease »continues the expert.
Shingles can arise at any age, although it mostly involves adults and the elderly. In particular, patients with low immune defenses, for example, those who suffer from immune system diseases or who have undergone cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy.
Symptoms
“The symptoms are manifold. First of all they are usually localized burning, redness or itching in the skin region where the actual lesions will then appear. The area where shingles occurs most frequently is a headband (called dermatome) which extends over only one side of the trunk at the height of the waist, but the disorder can also occur frequently on a side of the face, around the eye and on the forehead. Redness, burning and pain radiate along the course of a peripheral nerve, which for example, starting from the back, follows the nerve along the side to end in the middle of the chest and not affecting the other part. Vesicular-serous erythema, similar to that of chickenpox, appears within a week and the relative pain can change from mild to intense and last for a period of time ranging from weeks to months ”, Professor Celleno specifies.
Causes
«Certainly the role of the Herpes Virus Varicella Zoster is fundamental. The other causes are to be found in all those factors capable of lower our immune defenses: periods of stress, debilitating illnesses, particular medical and pharmacological therapies, states of psychophysical weakness ».
There diagnosis it is carried out following a specialist visit where symptoms and typical blisters are evaluated. Eventually, laboratory tests can be carried out such as the one that searches for IgM antibodies linked to the presence of the virus.
How to relieve pain
“In the simplest cases it is sufficient to resort to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or ad pain relievers specific by common medical prescription. In more complex cases, which may affect regions such as the face or eye or which persist for a long time, it is necessary to resort to pain therapy specialists who will be able to use prescription drugs or infiltrations e medical treatments details”.
Treatment
«The treatment lies in the prompt administration of medications based on molecules with antiviral action such as Aciclovir, Famciclovir or Valaciclovir. In some cases it is useful to resort to the prevention of this disease, which can also cause serious effects, especially in the elderly population, to specific vaccination preventive “concludes the expert.
In general, therefore, the shingles heals spontaneously thanks to the support of the therapy followed. It is difficult to incur serious complications, but it manifests itself through a rather annoying and painful symptomatology that can however be treated with adequate drugs. If you notice the typical symptoms described above, you should consult your doctor.
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