Pain level 10! Have you heard of "snake around the waist"?

Let me ask you a question first. Have you ever heard of "snake around the waist"? Snake around the waist does not mean being entangled by a snake, but refers to a special disease. The symptoms are like a "snake" wrapped around the waist. Doesn't it sound scary?

Source: Guangzhou Dermatology Institute

This disease, scientifically known as herpes zoster , is an infectious skin disease.

How does shingles develop?

The culprit of herpes zoster is the varicella-zoster virus, which is transmitted through droplets and contact. When a patient is infected with the virus, chickenpox occurs for the first time, and the remaining virus accumulates in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. Later, when the body's immunity decreases, the virus will be reactivated and transferred to the skin through the sensory nerve axis, causing skin lesions, which we commonly call "snake around the waist."

Source: The Paper

It can be said that shingles and chickenpox are different manifestations of the same virus infecting the human body at different times. **People who had chickenpox as children are not immune. **When the virus in the body "awakens" when they grow up, they will get shingles. Moreover, the chickenpox vaccine does not have a preventive effect on shingles.

How terrible is shingles?

The common saying "a dragon around the waist, excruciating pain" also refers to herpes zoster. Herpes zoster can cause varying degrees of neurological symptoms, including itching and pain, which appear in different stages from person to person, and may occur before, during, or after the rash. The neuralgia caused by herpes zoster can manifest as tingling, dull pain, throbbing pain, etc., accompanied by a burning sensation. Some people will experience severe pain, which is more obvious in the elderly and other weak people.

How painful is shingles?

According to the internationally accepted VAS visual analogue scale, the range is 0-10 points, where the pain of herpes zoster can reach a maximum of 10 points, while the pain value of some labor is only 7 points...

Source: Weibo

What is even more frightening is that the pain caused by herpes zoster does not necessarily end with the recovery of the disease. Some patients will continue to feel pain after the disease is cured, which may affect their personal life and sleep, or even cause neurasthenia, anxiety, insomnia, lack of energy, etc. Some patients may even have thoughts of suicide. Therefore, herpes zoster is also called "immortal cancer ."

In addition to physical pain, shingles also has other symptoms. Before the rash appears, patients often have symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, and slight burning and pain on the skin. When the rash appears, red spots will appear on the skin surface, followed by clusters of papules, which will then turn into blisters.

The blisters are usually distributed along a peripheral nerve area of ​​the skin, surrounded by red circles, and most often occur on one side of the body, not exceeding the midline. The blisters will dry up and scab off after a period of time, usually 2-3 weeks, and the elderly will have a longer period of about 3-4 weeks.

How is shingles treated and prevented?

Based on the pathogenesis of shingles (after infection with chickenpox, the virus is reactivated when the immune system is low), we can see the susceptible population and triggering factors of shingles.

Generally speaking, middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old have low immunity and are more likely to get herpes zoster. Secondly, people with diabetes, basic immunodeficiency diseases (such as leukemia, lymphoma, etc.), or people with low immunity due to physical trauma, mental stress, etc. are also prone to herpes zoster.

If we accidentally get infected with shingles, how can we treat it?

The skin lesions caused by herpes zoster can usually heal on their own, but there is no effective treatment for the postherpetic neuralgia that accompanies it. Currently, only some drugs can relieve the pain. Therefore, for diseases such as herpes zoster, prevention is always better than treatment.

The main way to prevent herpes zoster is to get vaccinated. Currently, according to the "Vaccine Instructions", people over 50 years old can get vaccinated, but other age groups are not covered yet. The editor would like to remind everyone that before getting vaccinated, you should confirm with your doctor whether you have a severe allergic reaction to the ingredients in the vaccine.

The vaccine for shingles is a non-live vaccine. The effect of vaccination in China is relatively stable, and there are generally no adverse reactions. If you experience mild myalgia, fever, redness and swelling at the injection site, there is no need to worry too much, as they will generally be relieved within 1-2 days. At present, the shingles vaccine available in China is a recombinant shingles vaccine (CHO cell), which can effectively prevent shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. The shingles vaccine needs to be administered twice, with an interval of 2-6 months between the two injections. This type of vaccination is a self-funded project , and the price fluctuates slightly in different regions, with a total price of around 3,200 yuan.

If there is a need for vaccination among the eligible people in your family, they can make an appointment for vaccination at the local community health center, health service center, etc. to take preventive measures.

Source: Digital Beijing Science Center WeChat Official Account

Audit expert: Zhang Yuhong

Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University

Chief Physician of Dermatology