Is there an inner shingles? | Shingles without rash

Is there an inner shingles?

In severe forms of shingles, in rare cases the virus can spread to internal organs, which can lead to life-threatening complications. The organs affected include above all the brain, lungs and liver. Such a progression is usually only to be expected in patients who suffer from a limited function of their immune system, as may be the case in HIV patients, people who have undergone an organ transplant or certain types of cancer. In people with an intact immune system, however, the body usually manages to confine the viruses to the nerves and the affected skin area. Complications that can be triggered by shingles include meningitis, paralysis, pneumonia, hepatitis and many more.

Pain

The pain that occurs in the context of shingles is called neuralgia. They are usually accompanied by sensation in the skin and severe itching. The perceived intensity of the pain can vary greatly between patients. The aims of an adequate drug therapy are, on the one hand, to relieve the pain, but also to prevent complications such as chronic nerve pain (post-zoster neuralgia). In most cases, the pain can be sufficiently relieved by the administration of light painkillers such as ASA, ibuprofen or paracetamol.

How to treat shingles without rash?

The drug therapy of shingles without rash differs from the standard therapy only in that there is no need to use ointments to dry out the blisters. However, antiviral drugs and sufficient pain therapy should be applied as soon as possible to relieve the symptoms, to achieve a faster healing process and to reduce the risk of complications. The antiviral drug most commonly used in this disease is Aciclovir, which can be taken as tablets. Alternatives are Valaciclovir, Famciclovir and Brivudin.For the treatment of pain, weaker painkillers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol or acetylsalicylic acid are usually prescribed first, as these have only minor side effects. If the pain cannot be sufficiently relieved with these drugs, low-potency opioids such as tilidine or gabapentin are used.