Shingles & After-Shingles Pain

Approximately 20 percent of the 1 million people that are diagnosed with shingles each year suffer from postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), or after-shingles pain¹². Do you have the facts to identify if you or your loved one is suffering from this painful condition? Take this interactive quiz to test what you know about shingles and PHN.

1. 1.

   (1 of 7)
   Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles. True False
2. 2.

   (2 of 7)
   Early symptoms of shingles include: Burning or shooting pain on a side of the body or face Numbness, tingling or itching on a side of the body or face Mild flu-like symptoms followed by an outbreak of rash or blisters All of the above
3. 3.

   (3 of 7)
   PHN pain is caused by: A shingles rash that does not go away, even with treatment Injury to the peripheral nerves that occurs during shingles ? Damage to the skin resulting from scratching a shingles rash All of the above
4. 4.

   (4 of 7)
   PHN pain can increase sensitivity to changes in temperature and the touch of material, such as clothing. True False
5. 5.

   (5 of 7)
   PHN pain is often described as: Burning Aching Sharp All of the above
6. 6.

   (6 of 7)
   The incidence of PHN pain increases with age. True False
7. 7.

   (7 of 7)
   There is no cure for PHN. True False

Don’t worry if you didn’t get all correct answers. The Expert’s Corner has a wealth of information for your about shingles and after-shingles pain!

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1. 1.

   Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles.

   True - Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After chickenpox, the virus can stay quiet, or dormant, in a patient's nerve tissue for years and can flare up again as shingles¹.

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2. 2.

   Early symptoms of shingles include:

   All of the above (burning or shooting pain on a side of the body or face; numbness, tingling or itching on a side of the body or face; and mild flu-like symptoms followed by an outbreak of rash or blisters) - Antiviral medications are usually prescribed to treat shingles. Early treatment with one of these drugs—ideally within 72 hours of the rash appearing—can decrease both the duration of shingles outbreak and intensity¹.

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3. 3.

   PHN pain is caused by:

   Injury to the peripheral nerves that occurs during shingles². - The pain usually occurs in the area of the shingles rash. However, the area and location of the affected part of the body varies with each individual³.

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4. 4.

   PHN pain can increase sensitivity to changes in temperature and the touch of material, such as clothing.

   True - Because of PHN pain, the patient's skin may become sensitive to changes in temperature¹ and the feel of clothing and daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and grooming may be painful. Pleasurable activities, such as shopping, cooking, traveling and sports, can also be limited by severe PHN pain³.

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5. 5.

   PHN pain is often described as:

   All of the above (burning; aching; and sharp) - PHN can also lead to numbness, loss of muscle and, in a minority of patients, abnormal skin temperature, skin color and sweating in the affected area³.

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6. 6.

   The incidence of PHN pain increases with age.

   True - PHN develops in more than 50 percent of shingles patients 50 years and older. And the risk of PHN is 80 percent in shingles patients 80 years and older¹.

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7. 7.

   There is no cure for PHN.

   True - Currently there is no cure for PHN¹, but oral and topical medications are available to treat the often debilitating pain of PHN. Talk with your healthcare professional if you think you or your loved one may be suffering from shingles or PHN.

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