Ways To Treat Postherpetic Neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia is a term used for the lingering nerve pain after a bout of shingles. Shingles is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Individuals who have had chickenpox may have this virus lying dormant in their bodies, which later re-erupts in a rash on one side of the face or body. One in five individuals will experience severe nerve pain as a result of this virus, generally in the same area where the rash was located. Individuals over sixty years old, women, patients who experienced pain initially with the rash, and individuals with other health problems are more likely to experience postherpetic neuralgia.