Burning and painful skin should be alert to herpes zoster

When skin burning and pain occur, be alert to shingles. We know that when the weather is relatively dry, the virus is more active. This is the period when shingles is more prevalent. It can infect the human body through the respiratory tract and lurk in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal nerves. When the body's immunity decreases, it may induce the occurrence of the disease. Therefore, we must strengthen physical exercise and enhance the body's disease resistance.

Negative emotions can also trigger herpes zoster

Bad emotions and lifestyle habits can also trigger shingles. For example, young people like Mr. Zhang are under great pressure from work and study, often work overtime and stay up late, overdraw their health, exercise less, are physically weak, and have low immunity, which leads to the outbreak of latent viruses and easily induces shingles.

Be careful not to be treated as other diseases . It is understood that shingles mostly occur in the chest, back, head, face, waist, abdomen, neck, etc. At the beginning of the disease, the main symptoms are general fatigue and weakness, and a burning sensation or neuralgia in the affected skin. Generally speaking, within 1 to 3 days after the onset of the disease, bean-sized papules and blisters will appear on the skin of the affected area, distributed in strips on one side of the spine. When the herpes zoster virus appears, the patient will experience general discomfort, fatigue, and low fever, which will then turn into local pain. Each patient's condition is different and the location of the pain is also different, but after 3 to 4 days, the erythema and blisters caused by the herpes will appear on the skin. Some people may have a headache, while others may have a backache. "Doctor Guo Jing said that two days ago, a female patient in her 60s was infected with the herpes zoster virus, and the pain was located in the left chest. "Many citizens do not understand this skin disease, and they think that the disease is where it hurts. So they came to our hospital and made an appointment with the cardiology department. The doctor asked about the cause of the disease and performed a color ultrasound examination, but no abnormality was found in the heart. Four days later, blisters appeared on her skin. ”

Late treatment can easily lead to postherpetic neuralgia. So, how to diagnose shingles? Doctors point out that the early pain of shingles is often on one side of the body. The pain is a throbbing and tingling sensation, and there is a slight feeling of heat in the painful area. As long as the above conditions are met, you should go to the dermatology department as soon as possible. However, many middle-aged and elderly people think that it is normal to have minor illnesses and pains from time to time and do not take it seriously. Little do people know that this delay may lead to post-herpetic neuralgia. Relevant data show that more than 30% of patients will suffer from postherpetic neuralgia, which can last for several months in mild cases and for several years in severe cases. The herpes zoster virus can damage nerves, and recovery from nerve damage is quite difficult and takes a long time. However, as long as shingles is treated promptly, preferably within a week of the onset of the disease, the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia can be completely avoided. Doctor's reminder: Is shingles contagious? Dr. Guo Jing said that healthy adults are generally not infected. However, for people with weak constitutions, such as infants, the elderly, and pregnant women, it is better to be careful and avoid close contact with shingles patients as much as possible. Doctors recommend that you should exercise more in the fall and winter to enhance your immunity; do not stay up late, do not work too hard, and avoid going to public places frequently. If you suffer from shingles, try not to break the blisters to avoid further infection and actively undergo antiviral treatment. During the illness, you should eat a light diet, drink plenty of water, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoid spicy, greasy, seafood, etc.

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