Did you know that shingles can be confused with heart attack symptoms? Shingles, popularly known as "night burn", is a very painful disease. It can be confused with the pain of many internal organ diseases such as heart attack, appendicitis and gallstones. It is a disease that occurs in people who have had chickenpox and chickenpox. Although it is usually seen over the age of 40, it can also be seen in childhood, although it is rare.
Who gets shingles?
Zona; It can occur in anyone who has had chickenpox infection. Varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is the causative agent of chickenpox, settles in the nerve roots and is inactive here. From time to time, the virus comes from the nerve roots to the skin and causes shingles.
What are the reasons that facilitate the formation of shingles?
A person's immunity is low, experiencing a stressful event, HIV (Human immunodeficiency) infection, diseases that lower body resistance, especially diabetes; It causes the VZV to move from the nerve roots to the skin and form shingles.
What are the complaints of a patient with shingles ?
Patients may first present with burning, stinging, tenderness or pain in their skin. In some patients, these symptoms are accompanied by rashes in the form of water bubbles on the skin. Sometimes the rashes are vague in the person and mainly pain is dominant. The pain can be local or diffuse or reflected. The time between pain and the onset of rash ranges from 3 to 10 days. The rashes usually involve an area of the body in the form of a belt or belt, and the blisters will crust over after a while and heal within 2 weeks.
Is shingles contagious?
A person with shingles; If he comes into contact with an individual who has not previously had chickenpox infection, he can infect that person.
Is it shingles? Is it a heart attack?
Patients frequently apply to the emergency department in the first periods when shingles have symptoms of pain or burning-stinging, and according to the localization and character of the pain, "heart attack", "gallstone", "kidney" It can be confused with diseases such as “calculous stone” or “appendicitis”. The opinion of the specialist physician to be requested during this period; It will be beneficial for the patient in terms of diagnosis.
How to treat shingles?
It is necessary to start shingles treatment as early as possible. Early initiation of oral or intravenous antiviral treatments for the virus accelerates the healing of the rash, relieves pain and prevents complications. In addition, wet dressings, creams and pomades are also required for skin rashes.
What is the most common complication of shingles?
The pain called "postzoster pain", which can sometimes last up to a year, is seen most frequently. Apart from this, complications related to many organs can be seen. Especially shingles located around the eyes; If it is not diagnosed and treated early, it may result in blindness.
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