Introduction

Did you know that the chicken pox virus can stay dormant for many years and reoccur as shingles? Shingles is painful rashes and band around one side of the body is affected by the virus (varicella-zoster virus, or VZV) moving along the roots of the nerves, which then travels into the skin. This disease is particularly common in adults over the age 50, a person with a weakened immune system and anyone who has had chicken pox. Having shingles can be deadly based on other health issue, such as cancer, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and etc which have a low immunity. There is a 20% chance for a person that’s had chicken pox to get this disease again. Not knowing what causes the chicken pox to come back as shingle still remains a mystery to the medical fields, but some think that it could be from stress, injury, or radiation. Shingles is not considering a contagious disease but can easily spread from one person to another by an individual not having chicken pox before in there life. Being aware of what shingle can do is important because there are a lot of different complications that one could face during the time of the disease.

What are shingles?

• Shingle-is a painful rash caused by the same virus (varicella zoster virus or VZV) that causes chickenpox
• The virus stays dormant for many year in the roots of the nerve after you have had a case with chickenpox and reoccur as shingles.
• Shingles is most common in adult over the age of 50, a person with a weaken immune system, and any who has had chickenpox.

What body system is affected by shingles?

The Integumentary system is a barrier to protect the body from the outside world. It also functions to retain body fluids, protect against disease, eliminate waste products, and regulate body temperature. The Integumentary system consists of the skin, hair, nails, glands, and nerves. The integumentary system also consists of 3 layers, the epidermis, dermis (cutis) and the subcutaneous (hypodermis). The epidermis is the outermost covering of epithelial cells with no blood vessel, dermis is composed of fibrous connective tissue and contains two sub layers called papillary layer and reticular layer, and subcutaneous lies under the dermis and consists mostly of connective tissue. This is found between the dermal and the inner organ. Lesions are changes in the skin structure caused by a disease processes. Lesions can also be called skin signs because of the visual abnormalities of the skin surface. These lesions have two categories which are primary skin lesion and secondary skin lesions. The two lesions are based on the texture and the color of the skin. Primary lesions are caused by external and internal conditions. Secondary lesions results in infection, trauma and other conditions.

Visual look at Shingles =)

Shingles clearing up and being to crust over.


on the left the shingles first stage and on the right fully developed.

How do you know if you have shingles?

• unusually sensation called parasthesias or pain, such as itching, constant aching and burning on the body where the rashes will occur.
• Some may develop fevers, sickly feeling, discomfort, abdominal pain and headaches.
• Within 1 to 3 days a rash red blister will appear on the side where the pain started.
• The rash disappears as the scabs fall off in the next two to three weeks, and scarring may result.
• Rashes on the face around the eye can cause eye inflammation causing you to have eye problems.
• Some patients develop postherpetic neuralgia which is an unpleasant sensations of pain that continue for four or more months after the zoster rash.

What are some treatments for shingles?

• Tricyclic antidepressants is a drug that reduce pain perception when in low doses. This medication pain management includes amitriptyline (treatment of depression and chronic pain.), desipramine (drug used to elevate mood and promote recovery of a normal range of emotions in patients), and nortriptyline (antidepressant).
• Steroid injection is another treatment they use for patients with postherpetic neuralgia; this injection is injected directly into the space around the spinal cord and is not use to treat the face.
• Lyrica was made to relief many people with the pains of shingles. It treats the burning, stabbing, and shooting feelings caused by shingles.

Conclusion

Getting the chicken pox (varicella) vaccine is the best way to prevent chicken pox. The vaccine is now recommended for most adults over 60 years. The vaccine should be given even if the person is not sure if he/she had chicken pox or shingles previously. The vaccine is not approved for people with a weakened immune system, pregnant women, or those with a history of a severe allergic reaction to gelatin or neomycin. As mentioned on emedtv.com “about 8 to 9 out of every 10 people who are vaccinated are completely protected from chickenpox.” This means that being vaccinated you will have a lower chance of getting affected. I believe that you should start by getting your baby vaccinated right away to lower there chance of getting it as an adolescent. Also avoiding people who have shingles or chickenpox is good because never having chickenpox can expose you to being affected. On webmd.com says “One study reports that the virus that causes shingles may be released into the air from shingles sores. If you have active shingles, you may be able to prevent spreading the disease by covering the shingles sores with a type of dressing that absorbs fluids and protects the sore.” It’s best that a person who has the disease be cautious for other because it can harm others. Side effects are generally mild and include redness, soreness, swelling and, rarely, small bumps at the site of the shot.

Refernces

Albrehct,M.(August 26, 2008 ). Patient information: Herpes zoster (shingles).retrieved May 2009 from http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~I8yIhDRR.lB0.y

Mayo clinic staff.(Sept. 5, 2008).Chicken pox.retrieved June 23,2009 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chickenpox/DS00053

Schoenstadt,A. MD(n.d.).retrieved October 13, 2006 from
http://chickenpox.emedtv.com/chickenpox/adult-chickenpox.html

Lyrica.com(n.d.).About Lyrica. retrieved from http://www.lyrica.com/main_about_lyrica.aspx

Golonka,D. MPH(n.d.) Shingles health center.retrieved March 21, 2007 from http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-topic-overview

Ann,C(n.d) Types of Skin Lesions. retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5095973_types-skin-lesions.html

The Body Systems: Clinical and Applied Topics
http://wps.aw.com/wps/media/objects/443/453868/05.Integumentary.2p.pdf