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Topher38
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What is post-herpetic neuralgia?
Roughly 20 percent of those diagnosed with shingles go on to suffer long-lasting pain from post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN, a condition that can be more painful than shingles. Although most people suffer with shingles for about a month, the pain and skin sensitivity can continue for months or even years in some patients with PHN.
PHN pain persists long after the shingles rash heals. Although invisible, the virus of herpes zoster can cause damage to the nerves, resulting in mild to severe pain. This pain of PHN may be sharp, piercing, throbbing or stabbing and may result in intolerable skin sensitivity to even the lightest touch. PHN occurs more often in older people and can last for months and even years.
However, the good news is that for most people who develop PHN, the pain will gradually resolve with time. And today there are multiple treatment options that do result in pain relief for those suffering from PHN.
What is the source of post-herpetic neuralgia?
The pain results from damage to the nerve fibers during the shingles infection. The pain of PHN is in the same area as the pain and rash of shingles. Some PHN patients feel pain in the exact same location as the rash, others have PHN pain in smaller areas within the rash region, and others feel the PHN pain in an area larger than the original rash site.
Pain from nerve damage is among the worst types of pain. Consider a mild pain related to nerve injury: the sensation when banging the "funny bone," the area in the elbow where a major nerve crosses. Patients who have had a spinal tap, in which a needle pierces the nerve-rich area of the back, describe this as one of the most painful procedures they have ever had.
Patients have described the pain of PHN as "deep and aching," "fire under the skin," "like electric shocks," and "unbearable shooting pain." For some PHN patients, even a light touch, like the pressure of a shirt, a gust of wind, or brushing the hair, can bring tears to the eyes. In other PHN sufferers, the painful area is sensitive to slight changes in temperature.
Because the pain can be so awful, it can interfere with a person's life. For some PHN sufferers, all normal activity comes to a halt for months. Depression is common in people with PHN because of the severe pain and social isolation that can occur.
The patient was me. I had shingles and I didnt even know. I had circular scabs down my lower back and abdomin. The pain was horrible. I didnt know and niether did my mom. The shingles cleared up and PHN kicked in. Although it is harder to get for younger people it happens. PHN as you read above is worse or the same as shingles its just you cant see the scabs/soars on the body. So thats what happened here.
After getting a ride to the hospital the docters put me on a lidocaine patch and its been about 2 months and the pain is slowly dieing down.
My dad had the same thing when he was 18.
Roughly 20 percent of those diagnosed with shingles go on to suffer long-lasting pain from post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN, a condition that can be more painful than shingles. Although most people suffer with shingles for about a month, the pain and skin sensitivity can continue for months or even years in some patients with PHN.
PHN pain persists long after the shingles rash heals. Although invisible, the virus of herpes zoster can cause damage to the nerves, resulting in mild to severe pain. This pain of PHN may be sharp, piercing, throbbing or stabbing and may result in intolerable skin sensitivity to even the lightest touch. PHN occurs more often in older people and can last for months and even years.
However, the good news is that for most people who develop PHN, the pain will gradually resolve with time. And today there are multiple treatment options that do result in pain relief for those suffering from PHN.
What is the source of post-herpetic neuralgia?
The pain results from damage to the nerve fibers during the shingles infection. The pain of PHN is in the same area as the pain and rash of shingles. Some PHN patients feel pain in the exact same location as the rash, others have PHN pain in smaller areas within the rash region, and others feel the PHN pain in an area larger than the original rash site.
Pain from nerve damage is among the worst types of pain. Consider a mild pain related to nerve injury: the sensation when banging the "funny bone," the area in the elbow where a major nerve crosses. Patients who have had a spinal tap, in which a needle pierces the nerve-rich area of the back, describe this as one of the most painful procedures they have ever had.
Patients have described the pain of PHN as "deep and aching," "fire under the skin," "like electric shocks," and "unbearable shooting pain." For some PHN patients, even a light touch, like the pressure of a shirt, a gust of wind, or brushing the hair, can bring tears to the eyes. In other PHN sufferers, the painful area is sensitive to slight changes in temperature.
Because the pain can be so awful, it can interfere with a person's life. For some PHN sufferers, all normal activity comes to a halt for months. Depression is common in people with PHN because of the severe pain and social isolation that can occur.
The patient was me. I had shingles and I didnt even know. I had circular scabs down my lower back and abdomin. The pain was horrible. I didnt know and niether did my mom. The shingles cleared up and PHN kicked in. Although it is harder to get for younger people it happens. PHN as you read above is worse or the same as shingles its just you cant see the scabs/soars on the body. So thats what happened here.
After getting a ride to the hospital the docters put me on a lidocaine patch and its been about 2 months and the pain is slowly dieing down.
My dad had the same thing when he was 18.
