Chickenpox - precursor to shingles

Not just to cure the chickenpox is the child escaping the "claw" of Varicella Zoster virus. This virus can lie still for tens of years in the body, waiting for the opportunity to wake up causing shingles (folk called giàng leo) with constant pain.

Injury in shingles (Photo: VNE) Doctor Pham Thi Huong, Dept. of Dermatology, Hanoi Medical University, said that about a quarter of those infected with Varicella Zoster virus - the causative agent of chickenpox - will develop into shingles before 85 years old. This risk is very high in people with weak resistance such as cancer patients, HIV infection . and increasing with age. People with chickenpox in their first year of life are also 3-20 times more likely to develop shingles than those with chickenpox later.

The initial symptom of shingles is 3-4 days of chest pain, pain on one side of the body, a burning sensation, then the blisters appear as long lines on one side, along the nerves. The most common location is in the chest (following the intercostal nerve), neck, face, back (following the sciatic nerve). The vesicles contain fluid, after a few days, pus, dry and flake. The patient always feels burning; The higher the age, the more terrible the feeling of pain.

Shingles can lead to complications such as conjunctivitis, cornea, uveitis, rectal urinary disorders, facial paralysis, encephalitis, meningitis.

The most frightening complication is post-shingling pain, common in the elderly, with dry, thin skin. This is a persistent pain under the skin after the blister has healed (4-6 weeks), very difficult to treat. At this time, the patient suffers from constant pain such as stabbing, meat cutting, lasting months, years or life. To avoid this complication, during shingles, the patient needs treatment with antiviral drugs. It also helps heal scars, reduces disease levels, shortens the duration of inflammation and acute pain.

The best way to prevent shingles is to prevent chickenpox in vaccines. Dr. Huong said that the current popular chickenpox vaccine is Varilrix of the United States, costing about 300,000 VND / nose, can be given to children from 12 months old. Children over 13 years of age need 2 injections 4-8 weeks apart.

Vaccines start to work after 3-5 days of injection; while the incubation period is 7-21 days, so if you have been in contact with the patient if you inject it right away, it is still possible. People who have been vaccinated rarely get chickenpox, if any, only mild with very few nodules and no complications.

Hai Ha