Varicella-Zoster

Varicella-Zoster – General Information

Varicella-Zoster – Symptoms

Varicella-Zoster – Treatment

In most cases Varicella-Zoster is diagnosed depending on the patient’s history of pain on one side of his body in addition to the pattern of the rash and blisters. Usually, doctors perform a physical test and ask the patient questions about the signs and symptoms that he has experienced lately. There are cases in which doctors take a tissue culture of the present blisters for a more specialized exam in the laboratory. The skin condition usually heals on its own in less than three weeks, but a certain treatment trial can help relieving pain, speeding the healing and reducing the risk of developing more severe complications. The most common treatment options for Varicella-Zoster can include: high doses on antiviral medicine to reduce the duration and the severity of the patient’s symptoms. These medicines can be prescribed as Acyclovir or Zovirax, Valacyclovir or Valtrex, and Famcyclovir or Famvir.

In order to achieve the best improvement it is recommended to start taking the medication in the first 72 hours form the first signs of the disease. The doctor can also prescribe anti inflammatory medicines to ease the inflammation, and the most common anti inflammatory medicines are corticosteroids, which can be prescribed as Prednisone, which can also decrease the patient’s risk of developing postherpetic neuralgia. In some cases, in addition to antiviral medicines and anti inflammatory drugs, doctors can also administrate pain relievers to control the pain that can be usually prescribed as opioids. There are cases in which tricyclic antidepressants or several anticonvulsants can be effective if the pain caused by Varicella-Zoster continues after the blisters have been healed. A topical ointment that contains capsaicin or a skin patch that also contains pain relieving solutions, such as lidocaine, can provide short term pain relief. Varicella-Zoster can also be improved by only changing the lifestyle.

It is very important for the patient to get plenty of rest and avoid strenuous activities while taking the treatment. It is also important to avoid stress, because it can worsen the pain. The patient can also apply some home remedies that can help relief the pain and manage the signs and symptoms caused by Varicella-Zoster, and can include: taking over the counter pain relievers or anti inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, applying an anti itch cream or calamine lotion to the blistered area, applying non prescription hydrocortisone creams, that can temporarily relieve the itch, applying nonprescription oral antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine, or Benadryl, that can be helpful if the patient experiences severe itch, washing the blisters twice a day with a regular soap and water, applying cool, wet compresses on the blisters to relieve itch and pain, using water mixed with white vinegar at least three time a day, and taking cool baths. To prevent the disease to appear, doctors can administrate a vaccine called Varivax, which is recommended to be applied in children with the age between one and two years old, but it can also be effective in children and adults that have not yet presented this medical condition.