Postherpetic Neuralgia – An Overview

The varicella-zoster virus causes a skin infection called shingles – chickenpox is also caused by this virus. However, once cured of chickenpox, the virus is not removed from the body. The virus might lie in your nerve surroundings in a dormant manner only to appear later anytime your immune system weakens. Shingles are also called herpes zoster and cause rashes and burning blisters on the skin.

Postherpetic Neuralgia occurs when the pain and burning persist even after the shingles blisters are cured. This effect is not uncommon and affects many people who have suffered shingles – around 25% of people.

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What causes Postherpetic Neuralgia?

The varicella-zoster causes chickenpox in a person. After the chickenpox is over, the virus remains in your body in the nerves – in fact, it never goes away. Sometimes, the virus gets reactivated due to the weakening of the immune system and causes rashes and burning blisters on the skin called shingles.

 

These shingles can degrade, or damage, the nerves causing the pain signal to be transmitted in a garbled manner. Since the nerves are unable to send proper signals from the skin to the brain, pain is experienced.

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Symptoms of Neuralgia

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Typically symptoms of Postherpetic Neuralgia are:

• Severe pain that can last for months at the site where shingles existed.

• The burning sensation can be triggered by touch.

• Skin becomes sensitive to touch, pressure, and temperature.

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It must be noted that neuralgia is observed in individuals that have suffered from shingles before. A person’s age also plays a major role in this condition; there are high chances of neuralgia in old-age people (greater than 50 years). It is observed that women are more prone to this disorder than men.

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