Herpes Zoster

I came back home two hours ago after accompanying the person I loved most to the clinic.

She called me in the morning complaining of her back pain and asked if I would accompany her to the clinic later in that evening. Actually, I was asking her about the flu that she was suffering from for the past few days but I got updated about a new illness or pain that had arisen.

We met at 8.45pm and while walking to the clinic, she informed me that some rashes had appeared on her midriff.

I enquired if she had taken something that she is allergic from but the answer was a negative. We thought that it could have been the weather, afterall .... she is under the weather.

By 9.30pm, she appeared from the consultation room, walking slowly with a sad face towards me. A piece of paper can be seen in her left palm and on it was scrawled 'herpes zoster'.

She blurted out that she has chicken pox and that was the medical term.

After much deliberations and concerned looks from us, the doctor came out to the receptionist counter explaining to us about herpes zoster.

Okay, I'm going to cheat.

This is what I found out about herpes zoster --

Varicella-zoster virus
(short version - see also our shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia pages):

How common?
Almost 100% of UK population by adulthood. However in tropical countries the rates are much lower.

How is it caught?
Chickenpox is caught like flu: virus floats in the air, from the breath of an infected person. When it returns it is called shingles. No one can catch shingles, but if you have not had chickenpox and you have skin contact with shingles, you can catch chickenpox.

How long before it appears (incubation period)?
Two weeks is usual, but it could be as soon as 7 days or as long as 23 days.

What does it cause?
A flu-like illness followed by blisters over the body. If it recurs, as shingles, the blisters will be a restricted area, often around the ribs. Older people may develop post-herpetic neuralgia, a pain the nerves that may be severe and may last for months or year. See our pages on how this is treated.

Now I realise how very painful this illness is for her because it hits the nerves and the pain can go on for months. She's having back problem and won't be able to sleep comfortably.

I pray for her to regain her health in godspeed. Ameen.






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