Treatment of shingles on the neck
The treatment is based on two pillars: On the one hand, the treatment of skin changes, i.e. redness and blisters. On the other hand, the treatment of the disease itself. The former is treated with cooling compresses or ointments.
The treatment also depends on the stage of the disease. While cooling is more likely to be prescribed in the case of blister formation, a zinc ointment lotion is more appropriate when healing is already underway. The antiviral therapy is carried out by the administration of antivirals.
Antivirals are certain drugs that prevent the spread of, and fight viruses (see: Drugs against viruses). Antivirals do not necessarily have to be taken because, as already mentioned, shingles heals itself after a few days. However, they do accelerate healing, and in certain cases may also be necessary to prevent further spread of shingles from the neck to other parts of the body.
Risk factors for such a spread include poor immune status, age over 50 years, concomitant corticosteroid treatment, particularly severe forms on the body trunk, or generally shingles in the head and neck area. Shingles on the neck is therefore a persuasive argument for treatment with antivirals – regardless of age, while mild shingles on the leg can be treated without antivirals in young patients. Typical antivirals in this case are: Aciclovir, Valaciclovir, and Birvudin.
The drugs must be taken for a period of at least seven days, similar to antibiotics. In immunocompromised patients, however, it may be necessary to schedule a longer treatment period. After all, these patients are particularly at risk.
Some of these drugs are also used to treat shingles on the head. In exceptional cases, immunoglobulins and interferons can be taken in addition to antivirals. These “biologicals” usually have very few side effects because they are almost identical to the body’s own proteins and enzymes. They have to be produced artificially and very elaborately in biotechnical processes and are therefore often very expensive.However, they represent a growing field of business in the pharmaceutical industry, and are often referred to as the next generation of drugs.
