Shingles: Fast action is of utmost importance – Dr von Ludwig
In his monthly column, Dr Wilhelm von Ludwig talks about shingles and the importance of nipping it in the bud when it comes to treatment.
POLOKWANE – What is shingles?
It is not a new vibrant club in Polokwane where you can go to enjoy an evening of care-free socialising, neither is it a vogue accessory that fashionistas are wearing to remind everyone about their presence.
The scientific name for shingles also fails to cast more light on the condition – Herpes Zoster as it sounds like something that is contagious and socially unacceptable.
But the truth is that even though shingles is caused by a virus, it isn’t catchy like a cold and instead of hitting the club, it’s more likely to show up at a place where older folks live.
This pain party usually happens when someone’s immune system isn’t at its strongest, which can come with age or if you have underlying conditions like diabetes, HIV, or cancer.
Even being super-stressed can give shingles the green light.
Remember chickenpox from when you were a kid? Shingles is a sort of comeback tour by the same virus. After chickenpox makes you itch and scratch, it doesn’t really leave, instead, it hides in your spinal cord and waits for the right moment to come back.
When it does, it follows the path of a nerve on one side of your body and leaves behind a rash that looks like a reddish belt with blisters.
That’s why they call it “shingles” (Latin: cingulum=“belt”).
Although shingles cannot be spread from person to person, like chickenpox, we do see a seasonal variation and during springtime, we are entering peak shingles season.
The most important thing about shingles-treatment is, you’ve got to act fast.
The clock starts ticking when you notice the first signs and you’ve only got three days to start taking the treatment.
If you wait too long, the medicine might not work as well.
Sometimes shingles can be a troublemaker for years, causing nerve pain that just won’t quit.
For doctors, solving the shingles puzzle is like detective work as they want to know why it showed up to the party.
Figuring out what’s going on with the immune system and why shingles decided to crash can help them find the best way to make it leave.
So, shingles might sound a bit mysterious, but it’s really just a comeback tour by a tricky virus. It’s all about timing and teamwork to send it packing and ease the pain.
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