Nerve Pain Shingles Ranked As A Top Painful Medical Condition

At Integrated Pain Consultants, “Top Doc in Pain Management” Dr. Nikesh Seth regularly treats patients struggling with shingles. This disease affects the nerves and has been described as a severe itching, burning, or shooting sensations often accompanied by blisters and rashes. Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, varicella-zoster virus, so if you’ve had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles.

The Painful Facts of Shingles

If you know someone who has had shingles, you’ve heard the horror stories about how painful it is. The AARP and the UK’s National Health Service both list shingles as one of the most painful medical conditions that exists. Worse, about 33 percent of American adults will develop shingles. Over 99 percent of adults over the age of 50 have had chickenpox, which means the vast majority of people in the country have the shingles virus dormant inside them. Most people get shingles when they’re over the age of 60, but technically you can contract shingles at any age.

Age is one of the biggest risk factors because immune systems decline as we get older. This happens at a faster clip once you reach the age of 40. Anything that affects your immune system can put you at a higher risk for a shingles outbreak. For example, if you have certain diseases like kidney failure or heart failure, are post-surgery, have cancer or HIV, you are more likely to have a shingles outbreak.

In addition to the pain of shingles, the rash from the outbreak puts people at a risk of complications. These include postherpetic itch and postherpetic neuralgia. Shingles have been on the rise in recent years, perhaps due to the increased amount of stress we put on ourselves. Stress also impacts the immune system.

Stop Shingle Pain – Call Today

The best way to avoid shingles is with the vaccine Shingrix (for those over the age of 50). However, for those under the age of 50 or who don’t want a vaccine, it’s important to know your options for pain management if you have a shingles outbreak, including proper medication management. Integrated Pain Consultants offers a wide variety of treatments for all types of nerve pain in Scottsdale. Schedule a detailed pain management evaluation by booking your appointment online or calling 480-626-2552 today.