Treatments For Nerve Pain From Shingles

The chickenpox herpes zoster virus causes shingles.

Treatments for nerve pain from shingles.

There s no cure for shingles but prompt treatment with prescription antiviral drugs can speed healing and reduce your risk of complications. There s no cure but treatments can ease symptoms. If you have shingles symptoms get treatment now and you may avoid permanent nerve pain. This condition is known as postherpetic neuralgia and it occurs when damaged nerve fibers send confused and exaggerated messages of pain from your skin to your brain.

It s called postherpetic neuralgia. Shingles causes a painful rash that can be accompanied by fever fatigue and sensitivity to light. The risk of postherpetic neuralgia increases with age primarily affecting people older than 60. Acyclovir zovirax valacyclovir valtrex shingles can cause severe pain so your doctor also may prescribe.

Roughly 30 to 60 of people over age 60 who get shingles go on to develop a chronic pain syndrome called post herpetic neuralgia. The condition affects nerve fibers and skin causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear. The virus travels down nerve fibers to cause a painful skin rash. Quite frequently the earliest symptom of shingles is a burning or tingling sensation on the skin.

Capsaicin topical patch qutenza. Shingles a viral infection of the nerve roots affects 1 million people in the u s each year. Generally this pain follows a nerve s path on one side of the body. For some people shingles pain continues long after the blisters have cleared.

While antiviral medication is an effective treatment for shingles it s not the only option. Doctors can help you manage the pain. Learn about treatment options from a pain management specialist. When the rash goes away the pain usually goes.

Sometimes the pain of shingles continues long after the blisters and other symptoms have faded away.