【Frequent occurrence of shingles in the elderly in winter, please put away this precaution! 】 】
With the onset of winter, infectious diseases are high, and shingles, which makes the elderly smell daunting, is also in the high season. Folklore known as "raw snake", "snake loin", "loincloth dragon", is a contagious disease caused by chickenpox-zoster virus (VZV). 99.5% of humans over the age of 50 have its latent in the body, and when the body's immunity declines, it is easy to be activated, resulting in a series of symptoms dominated by severe neuralgia. 【Maternal and child health science】
What are the common symptoms of shingles?
1. Flu-like symptoms: similar to flu-like symptoms, such as tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, accompanied by mild fever.
2. Swollen and painful lymph nodes: lymphadenopathy and tenderness may occur.
3. Tingling and burning: A few days before the rash appears, pain, burning, itching, tingling or numbness appear in the surrounding area of the affected nerve.
Specific manifestations of shingles
1. Ocular shingles virus will invade the eye branch of the trigeminal nerve, more common in the elderly, severe pain, can involve the cornea to form ulcerative keratitis.
2. Auricular zoster The virus invades the facial and auditory nerves, and herpes can occur in the external auditory canal or eardrum. Invasion of the facial nerve also presents with a triad of facial paralysis, earache, and herpes in the external auditory canal.
3. Atypical shingles Some elderly people infected with the herpes zoster virus do not have skin lesions but only neuralgia, and some only appear erythema and papules disappear without blisters.
How it feels to have shingles
Once you get shingles, this kind of heart-wrenching pain is something you never want to experience again. It hurts during the day and at night, like a broken wound cut by a knife, pricked by a needle, itchy and painful.
As a virus infection, it affects the nerves. Therefore, some people will continue to have neuralgia, knife-like, lightning-like, burning pain, which can be produced by touching the skin, and even some people can't even wear clothes. Persistent severe pain causes insomnia and mental anguish, seriously affecting the quality of life. Postheringial neuralgia is still a world-class pain problem and is known as the "cancer that never dies".
Shingles can also be contagious
Infants and young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people who have been in close contact with people with herpes zoster can be transmitted through herpes fluid airborne – respiratory inhalation, skin-to-skin contact.
At present, the treatment of shingles is mainly antiviral and symptomatic treatment, although the treatment is carried out, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia and other sequelae is greater, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.
Vaccination is the most economical, effective and simple means of preventing disease.
Shingles Q&A
Q1. If you have had shingles, is it still necessary to fight? How long can I fight?
A: It is necessary! After herpes zoster is cured, it is not a lifelong immunity, and the varicella-zoster virus will remain in the spinal nerve roots, and there is a possibility of recurrence when the body's resistance decreases.
Q2. Is it necessary to be vaccinated against shingles if I have had chickenpox in the past?
A: It is necessary! Previous chickenpox indicates that you have been infected with chickenpox-zoster virus (VZV), which belongs to the high incidence of shingles disease, because the virus is not cleared after chickenpox is healed, but lurks in the ganglia, as age increases, immunity decreases, the virus will reactivate, and zoster will occur.
Q3.Can people with chronic underlying diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. be vaccinated?
A: Can be vaccinated! Blood sugar and blood pressure control is stable, good health, after evaluation by professional doctors, a reasonable vaccination plan is given.
Text| Department of Women's Health Zhang Wenyan
