Herpes zoster is a viral infection characterized by the presence of painful vesicles grouped and distributed by sections in a sector of the skin, anywhere on the body. This disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus also responsible for chickenpox. Next, Dr. Carlos Sordo, a dermatologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma, gives us more information on the subject.

Why does herpes zoster appear?

When the virus enters the body causing chickenpox, it lodges at random in one of the sensory ganglia of the nervous system, where it remains inactive for many years. Subsequently, due to factors that weaken the immune system such as stress, age (around 50 years or more), trauma or immunosuppressive treatments, among others, it is activated.

What are its symptoms?

Some of the symptoms are:

• General discomfort
• Tiredness
• Fever
• Sensitivity
• Very severe pain
• Vesicles that appear a few days after the pain
• Itch

Treatment

The indicated treatment is orally with specific antivirals, ideally in the first three days to obtain the maximum benefit, in addition to local and symptomatic treatment for pain control.

Herpes zoster is a debilitating disease and rest must be kept to avoid complications such as pneumonia, especially in older people. Its duration is usually three weeks on average, although in some cases there may be a sequela called Post-Herpetic Neuralgia that requires longer treatment

Dr. Carlos Sordo
Dermatologist at Clinica Ricardo Palma