How is shingles diagnosed. What are the key differences between shingles and scabies. What tests are used to confirm a shingles diagnosis. How can you distinguish shingles from other skin conditions. What are the most effective treatments for shingles.

Understanding Shingles: Causes and Risk Factors

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the body’s nerve tissues. Years later, it can reactivate, causing the painful rash characteristic of shingles.

Who is at risk for developing shingles? The risk increases with age, particularly for individuals over 50. People with weakened immune systems due to medical conditions or medications are also more susceptible. However, it’s important to note that anyone who has had chickenpox can potentially develop shingles, even children.

Key Risk Factors for Shingles:

• Age (50 years and older)
• Weakened immune system
• Certain medical conditions (e.g., cancer, HIV)
• Medications that suppress the immune system
• Stress
• Previous chickenpox infection

Can shingles be transmitted from person to person? While shingles itself is not contagious, the varicella-zoster virus can be spread from a person with active shingles to someone who has never had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it. In such cases, the exposed person would develop chickenpox, not shingles.

Recognizing Shingles: Distinctive Signs and Symptoms

Identifying shingles early is crucial for prompt treatment and minimizing complications. The most telltale sign of shingles is a distinctive rash, but there are other symptoms to be aware of as well.

Characteristic Symptoms of Shingles:

1. Painful, blistering rash on one side of the body or face
2. Burning, tingling, or itching sensation in the affected area
3. Sensitivity to touch
4. Fever and chills
5. Headache
6. Fatigue
7. Upset stomach

How does the shingles rash typically develop? The rash usually appears as a band or strip on one side of the body or face. It starts as red bumps that quickly form into fluid-filled blisters. These blisters then crust over and heal within 2-4 weeks.

Is pain always present before the rash appears? Many people experience pain, itching, or tingling in the area where the rash will develop 1-5 days before it becomes visible. This early symptom, known as prodromal pain, can be a key indicator of impending shingles.

Shingles vs. Scabies: Differentiating Between Similar Skin Conditions

Shingles and scabies are both skin conditions that can cause itching and discomfort, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Understanding these differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Key Differences Between Shingles and Scabies:

• Cause: Shingles is caused by a virus, while scabies is caused by mites
• Rash pattern: Shingles typically appears on one side of the body, while scabies can affect multiple areas
• Pain: Shingles is often painful, while scabies is primarily itchy
• Contagiousness: Scabies is highly contagious, while shingles is not directly transmissible
• Duration: Shingles usually clears up within 2-4 weeks, while scabies requires treatment to resolve

How can you distinguish between shingles and scabies rashes? Shingles typically presents as a band of blisters on one side of the body, often accompanied by pain. Scabies, on the other hand, appears as small, itchy bumps or lines, often between fingers, on wrists, or in skin folds.

Diagnostic Approaches: Confirming a Shingles Diagnosis

While a healthcare provider can often diagnose shingles based on the characteristic rash and symptoms, additional tests may be necessary in some cases to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other conditions.

Common Diagnostic Methods for Shingles:

1. Clinical examination
2. Patient history (including previous chickenpox infection)
3. Viral detection tests
4. Antibody tests
5. Tzanck smear

When are laboratory tests typically used to diagnose shingles? Laboratory tests are generally reserved for cases where the diagnosis is uncertain, the patient is at high risk for complications, or to confirm the diagnosis in patients with atypical presentations.

What does the viral detection test for shingles involve? This test involves taking a sample from the fluid-filled blisters or crusted lesions. The sample is then analyzed to detect the presence of the varicella-zoster virus DNA.

Treatment Options: Managing Shingles Symptoms and Complications

While there is no cure for shingles, several treatment options can help manage symptoms, speed up healing, and reduce the risk of complications. Early intervention is key to effective treatment.

Common Treatments for Shingles:

• Antiviral medications (e.g., acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir)
• Pain relievers (over-the-counter or prescription)
• Topical treatments (e.g., calamine lotion, capsaicin cream)
• Cool compresses
• Antidepressants or anticonvulsants (for nerve pain)
• Steroids (in severe cases)

How soon should treatment for shingles begin? Antiviral treatment is most effective when started within 72 hours of the rash’s appearance. Prompt treatment can reduce the severity and duration of the outbreak, as well as lower the risk of complications.

Can shingles be prevented? While not 100% effective, vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of developing shingles. The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for adults 50 years and older.

Potential Complications: Understanding the Risks Associated with Shingles

While many people recover from shingles without significant problems, the condition can lead to serious complications, especially in older adults or those with weakened immune systems.

Possible Complications of Shingles:

1. Postherpetic neuralgia (persistent pain after the rash heals)
2. Vision problems or loss (if shingles affects the eye)
3. Hearing loss or balance problems
4. Skin infections
5. Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
6. Ramsay Hunt syndrome (facial paralysis and hearing loss)

What is postherpetic neuralgia and how common is it? Postherpetic neuralgia is a condition where pain persists in the area of the shingles rash even after the rash has healed. It affects approximately 10-18% of people who develop shingles, with the risk increasing with age.

How long can postherpetic neuralgia last? The duration of postherpetic neuralgia varies greatly between individuals. For some, the pain may last a few months, while others may experience pain for years. Early treatment of shingles can help reduce the risk and severity of this complication.

Living with Shingles: Coping Strategies and Lifestyle Adjustments

Dealing with shingles can be challenging, but there are several strategies that can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life during the outbreak and recovery period.

Tips for Managing Shingles:

• Keep the rash clean and dry to prevent infection
• Wear loose-fitting, natural fiber clothing to reduce irritation
• Apply cool, wet compresses to the rash to relieve pain and itching
• Practice stress-reduction techniques (e.g., meditation, deep breathing)
• Get plenty of rest to support your immune system
• Avoid scratching the rash to prevent scarring and infection

How can you manage the pain associated with shingles? In addition to prescribed medications, over-the-counter pain relievers, cool compresses, and calamine lotion can help alleviate discomfort. Some people find relief with alternative therapies such as acupuncture or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

When is it safe to return to normal activities after developing shingles? While you should follow your healthcare provider’s advice, generally, you can resume normal activities once the blisters have crusted over. However, it’s important to avoid contact with high-risk individuals (such as pregnant women, newborns, and immunocompromised people) until the rash has completely healed.

Shingles Research: Latest Developments and Future Prospects

The field of shingles research is continually evolving, with scientists working to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options. Several promising areas of research are currently underway.

Current Areas of Shingles Research:

1. Development of more effective vaccines
2. New antiviral medications
3. Improved treatments for postherpetic neuralgia
4. Understanding the mechanisms of virus reactivation
5. Exploring the relationship between shingles and other health conditions

What advancements have been made in shingles vaccines? The introduction of Shingrix, a newer shingles vaccine, has shown higher efficacy rates compared to the older Zostavax vaccine. Shingrix is over 90% effective in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia in adults 50 and older.

Are there any promising new treatments on the horizon for shingles? Researchers are exploring various approaches, including new antiviral drugs, immune modulators, and pain management techniques. Some studies are also investigating the potential of combination therapies to enhance treatment efficacy.

As research progresses, our understanding of shingles continues to improve, paving the way for better prevention strategies and more effective treatments. Stay informed about the latest developments by consulting with healthcare providers and reputable health information sources.

Do I Have Shingles? Tests Used To Diagnose Herpes Zoster

If you had chickenpox as a child, you might recall the itchy, spotted rash that popped up on your face and body. The varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox stays inside your body for many years.

Once you’re older, that same virus can wake up and cause shingles, also called herpes zoster. It gives you a rash, too, but it’s often more painful than itchy.

A blistering rash on one side of your body can be a sign you have it. See your doctor to find out for sure. Once you’ve been diagnosed, you can get treated to help relieve your rash and other symptoms.

The Telltale Signs

Your doctor will first ask whether you’ve had chickenpox and look at your symptoms. A rash is the main sign of shingles. Often your doctor can tell that you have it from your skin alone.

A shingles rash:

• Appears on one side of your body and/or face
• Stings, burns, and/or itches
• Starts as red bumps that form into blisters

Other conditions also cause rashes that look like shingles. Your doctor might check to see if you have:

Contact dermatitis: A skin reaction caused by an allergy to latex, metals, chemicals, or drugs

Candida infection: It comes from a type of yeast called Candida

Dermatitis herpetiformis: A rash that some people with celiac disease can get

Impetigo: A skin infection caused by bacteria

Insect bites: Sometimes, they can look like shingles

Folliculitis: The tiny holes that hairs grow out of can get inflamed

Scabies: A skin condition caused by a small bug called a mite

One way to tell shingles from these conditions is by the other symptoms that come with it. You can also have:

Tests

Doctors rarely test for shingles unless the rash alone isn’t enough to make a diagnosis. Some people get tested because they’re at higher risk for complications. You might have a test done if you:

Doctors use two types of tests to diagnose chickenpox or shingles:

Antibody: When you’re exposed to varicella zoster, your immune system makes proteins to fight it. Your doctor can look for these proteins, called antibodies, in a sample of your blood. They take the sample from a vein in your arm. These tests might be able to tell whether you have chickenpox now or have had it in the past, but the results are often hard to interpret.

Viral detection: This test can find out if varicella zoster virus is present in the rash. Your doctor can collect samples from scabs from blisters that have crusted over.

Your doctor should have the results in 1 to 3 days. You might need to have a second test if the results aren’t clear.

Your symptoms and test results will show whether you have shingles. Once you’ve been diagnosed, you can start on treatment to help you feel better.

Shingles

What is shingles?

Shingles, also called herpes zoster or zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in the body. Usually the virus does not cause any further problems; however, the virus may re-emerge years later, causing shingles.

Who gets shingles?

Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles, including children. However, shingles most commonly occurs in people 50 years old or older. The risk of getting shingles increases as a person gets older.

People who have medical conditions that keep the immune system from working properly, like cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, or people who receive drugs that weaken the immune system, such as steroids and drugs given after organ transplantation, are also at greater risk to get shingles.

How is shingles spread?

A person must have already had chickenpox in the past to develop shingles. A person cannot get shingles from a person that has it. However, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox or been vaccinated through direct contact with the rash. The person exposed would develop chickenpox, not shingles. The virus is not spread through sneezing, coughing or casual contact.

A person with shingles can spread the disease when the rash is in the blister-phase. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or if pain persists after the rash is gone (post-herpetic neuralgia).

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Shingles usually starts as a rash on one side of the face or body. The rash starts as blisters that scab after three to five days. The rash usually clears within two to four weeks.

Before the rash develops, there is often pain, itching, or tingling in the area where the rash will develop. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach.

How soon do symptoms appear?

The virus lies dormant in someone who has had chickenpox in the past. It can reactivate many years later.

What are the complications associated with shingles?

Shingles is not usually dangerous to healthy individuals although it can cause great misery during an attack. Anyone with shingles on the upper half of their face, no matter how mild, should seek medical care at once because of the risk of damage to the eye. Very rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis) or death. For about one person in five, severe pain can continue even after the rash clears up. This pain is called post-herpetic neuralgia. As people get older, they are more likely to develop post-herpetic neuralgia, and it is more likely to be severe.

Is there a treatment for shingles?

Several medicines, acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and famciclovir (Famvir), are available to treat shingles. These medications should be started as soon as possible after the rash appears and will help shorten the illness and decrease how severe the illness is. Pain medicine may also help with pain caused by shingles. Call your provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment options.

Does past infection make a person immune?

Usually. Most people who have shingles have only one episode with the disease in their lifetime. Although rare, a second or even third case of shingles can occur.

Is there a vaccine for shingles?

Yes. A single dose of herpes zoster vaccine called Zostavax is recommended for adults 60 years of age and older whether or not they report a prior episode of shingles. Zostavax does not treat shingles or post-herpetic neuralgia (pain that persists after the rash resolves) once it develops.

What can be done to prevent the spread of shingles?

Chickenpox must be prevented in order to prevent shingles. A vaccine for chickenpox is now available and it is hoped that immunized individuals will be less likely to develop shingles in later life.

The risk of spreading shingles is low if the rash is covered. People with shingles should keep the rash covered, not touch or scratch the rash, and wash their hands often to prevent the spread of shingles. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.

Scabies | Premier Dermatology

Scabies is an infestation of the skin with the microscopic mite Sarcoptes scabei. Infestation is common, found worldwide, and affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies spreads rapidly under crowded conditions where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact between people, such as in hospitals, institutions, child-care facilities, and nursing homes.

What are the signs and symptoms of scabies infestation?

Signs of scabies include the following:

• Intense itching, especially at night and over most of the body.
• Pimple-like irritations, burrows or a rash of the skin that appears in the webbing between the fingers, the skin folds on the wrist, elbow, or knee, the penis, the breast, or shoulder blades. The scalp is not usually affected.
• Sores on the body caused by scratching. These sores can sometimes become infected with bacteria.

How did I get scabies?

By direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person already infested with scabies. Contact must be prolonged (a quick handshake or hug will usually not spread infestation). Infestation is easily spread to sexual partners and household members. Infestation may also occur by sharing clothing, towels, and bedding.

Who is at risk for severe infestation?

People with weakened immune systems and the elderly are at risk for a more severe form of scabies, called Norwegian or crusted scabies.

How long will mites live?

Once away from the human body, mites do not survive more than 48-72 hours. When living on a person, an adult female mite can live up to a month.

Did my pet spread scabies to me?

No. Pets become infested with a different kind of scabies mite. If your pet is infested with scabies (also called mange), and they have close contact with you, the mite can get under your skin and cause itching and skin irritation. However, the mite dies in a couple of days and does not reproduce. The mites may cause you to itch for several days, but you do not need to be treated with special medication to kill the mites. Until your pet is successfully treated, mites can continue to burrow into your skin and cause you to have symptoms.

How soon after infestation will symptoms begin?

For a person who has never been infested with scabies, symptoms may take 4-6 weeks to begin. For a person who has had scabies, symptoms appear within several days. You do not become immune to an infestation.

How is scabies infestation diagnosed?

Diagnosis is most commonly made by looking at the burrows or rash. A skin scraping may be taken to look for mites, eggs, or mite fecal matter to confirm the diagnosis. If a skin scraping or biopsy is taken and returns negative, it is possible that you may still be infested. Typically, there are fewer than 10 mites on the entire body of an infested person; this makes it easy for an infestation to be missed.

Can scabies be treated?

Yes. Several lotions are available to treat scabies. Always follow the directions provided by your physician or the directions on the package insert. Apply lotion to a clean body from the neck down to the toes and left overnight (8 hours). After 8 hours, take a bath or shower to wash off the lotion. Put on clean clothes.

All clothes, bedding, and towels used by the infested person 2 days before treatment should be washed in hot water; dry in a hot dryer.

A second treatment of the body with the same lotion may be necessary 7-10 days later. Pregnant women and children are often treated with milder scabies medications.

Who should be treated for scabies?

Anyone who is diagnosed with scabies, as well as his or her sexual partners and people who have close, prolonged contact to the infested person, should also be treated. If your health care provider has instructed family members to be treated, everyone should receive treatment at the same time to prevent reinfestation.

How soon after treatment will I feel better?

Itching may continue for 2-3 weeks, and does not mean that you are still infested. Your health care provider may prescribe additional medication to relieve itching if it is severe. You will know that the medication has been effective if no new burrows or rashes should appear 24-48 hours after effective treatment.

A rash may persist even if all the mites are effectively killed. This may be due to a dermatitis, or inflammation of the layers of the skin. In these cases, a mild topical steroid may be recommended.

Reference: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Scabies | Skin Care | Henry Ford Health System

Facts about this itchy infection and symptoms to watch for.

Scabies is a skin infection caused by microscopic mites. The tiny mites burrow into the top layer of the skin, causing a rash and severe itching that can be worse at night. 

The condition bears a stigma that people who contract it are “dirty.” But scabies can affect anyone of any age and is not related to hygiene. 

Scabies is contagious and spreads through direct contact. The infection is commonly spread between family members, at school or daycare, between nursing home residents, or in shelters. Scabies is not transmitted from pets to humans. 

What does a scabies infection look like?

Affected areas of the skin may show tiny red bumps or blisters that resemble burrow tracks. The rash can appear on any part of the body, but is most often found in adults:

• Between the fingers or toes
• In the armpits
• Around the waist
• At the wrists, ankles, or inner elbow
• Around the breasts
• In the genital region

Common sites in kids include the:

• Scalp
• Face
• Neck
• Palms of the hands
• Soles of the feet 

Treatment options for scabies

Your doctor may recommend one or more of these treatment options to clear up the scabies infection and any secondary bacterial infections caused by excessive scratching:

• Antibiotics 
• Antihistamines to reduce itch
• Ivermectin orally
• Lindane lotion
• Permethrin cream
• Sulfur ointments

Scabies mites can’t live more than three days once they’re away from human skin. However, it’s a good idea to thoroughly clean bedding, clothing, and towels you used while infected. Items that can go in the washer and dryer should be washed in hot water and dried on the hot cycle. Items that can’t be laundered should be separated from people for at least 72 hours to get rid of any remaining scabies mites. 

The Itchy Torment of Scabies, Often Misdiagnosed

Scratching, however, can cause sores that become infected with bacteria like Staphylococcus or Streptococcus, prompting a diagnosis of impetigo and perhaps missing the underlying cause.

Scabies spreads most often through direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact, like that between sexual partners and members of a household. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put it in a fact sheet on scabies, “A quick handshake or hug will usually not spread infestation.” But the mite can also be acquired from contaminated bedding, clothing or towels recently used by a person with scabies. Although an adult female mite can live on a person for up to a month, the mite rarely survives more than three days apart from a living body.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, scabies has become a common problem among elderly people living in nursing homes and extended care facilities, where it can spread easily to attendants who in turn spread it to other residents. In the elderly, scabies is often mistaken for senile pruritus, itching caused by degenerative changes in aging skin.

Although taking a shower or bath soon after contact with live mites can wash them away, an attack of scabies is not a symptom of poor hygiene. Literally anyone can get it, regardless of age, sex or social class. The mites can neither fly nor jump but rather crawl at a rate of 2.5 centimeters a minute on warm skin, Dr. Olivier Chosidow of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris reported in The New England Journal of Medicine in April 2006.

The Diagnosis

In the Cleveland Clinic journal article, the Spanish dermatologists wrote that every patient with intense itching should be suspected of having scabies, especially if a family member reports similar symptoms.

When a doctor is familiar with scabies, as most dermatologists should be, the diagnosis is relatively simple. The scabies mite has favored sites in which it lives, generally areas on the body that are warm or where clothing is tight: between fingers and under nails; in the folds of the wrist, elbow and knee; on the buttocks; around the belt line and nipples; and on the penis.

When children get scabies, the lesions tend to appear bodywide, including the scalp, palms and soles. A particularly severe, highly contagious form called crusted, or Norwegian, scabies can affect the elderly, AIDS patients and people on immunosuppressants. While people with ordinary scabies usually have no more than 5 to 15 live female mites on their bodies, those with crusted scabies can harbor hundreds, even millions, of adult mites.

Elk Grove Village, IL: Elk Grove Dermatology

Scabies is a skin condition caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows into the skin, causing itchiness in the affected area. The itching is the result of the body’s allergic reaction to the mite, its eggs and its waste products.

This condition is highly contagious, spreading quickly through physical contact, and contact with personal belongings such as sheets and towels. Because of the contagion factor, an entire family or contact area (a classroom or a section of a nursing home) is often treated to prevent recontamination. Scabies can affect anyone, and at any age. Cleanliness, or lack of it, is not a factor in its transmission.

Signs of Scabies

Although symptoms of scabies may be confused with other allergic reactions, the following are usually indicators:

• Severe itching that is usually worse at night
• Irregular rows of tiny bumps or blisters at the site
• Connected individuals having symptoms at the same time
• Irritation in the folds of the skin

The small rows of blisters that appear on the skin are actually the burrows of the mites. Most commonly, they appear between the fingers, in the armpits, and on the inner wrists, knees, breasts, shoulder blades or buttocks. In men, scabies are often found in the pubic region. Children most frequently show evidence of the infestation on the scalp, face, neck, palms, and soles of the feet.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Scabies

If scabies is suspected, the doctor should be consulted as soon as possible to avoid the risk of infection, and to keep the condition from spreading to others. Scabies is diagnosed by taking a scraping of skin tissue and examining it microscopically. Under the microscope, mites and their eggs will be readily visible. There are several effective medications that treat scabies. While these medications usually quickly kill the mites, itching may persist for weeks after treatment.

Complications of Scabies

While not a serious condition, scabies may lead to other medical problems. If vigorous scratching leads to broken skin, bacterial infections, such as impetigo, may occur. Crusted scabies, a more severe variety of the condition, may have serious consequences for high-risk individuals, including those with weakened immune systems from advanced age or chronic health problems.

90,000 V 02 Herpes zoster | Description of the disease, diagnosis, treatment

Shingles (Herpes zoster) (syn. – herpes zoster) is a viral disease characterized by unilateral herpetiform rashes on the skin with severe pain syndrome. The causative agent – the varicella zoster virus (Varicella zoster) of the herpesvirus family, at the first meeting with the body (more often at a young age) causes typical chickenpox.
Infection is possible from a person who has herpes zoster or chickenpox.The routes of transmission of the virus are airborne, contact, and a transplacental route is also possible. The virus is neurodermatotropic, that is, it can infect cells of the nervous system and skin epithelium. Primarily or after chickenpox, the virus through the skin and mucous membranes, then through the circulatory and lymphatic systems penetrates the intervertebral nodes and dorsal roots of the spinal cord, where it can remain in a latent state for a long time, like its related herpes simplex virus. facial part, then the rash will be located along the ternary, or facial nerve.If a part of the body is affected, then the rash will be located along the spinal nerves. The disease begins with general malaise and pain along the nerve trunks. This stage lasts 2 to 4 days. Then rashes appear in places of pain. First, red spots appear, on which herpetic blisters then form. The process may be accompanied by fever and a sharp increase in pain, burning, itching, tingling and swelling of the lesion on the skin.
There is also an erased form of herpes zoster, when the rash does not appear, but pain, burning, itching are still present.
After two weeks (maximum 1.5 weeks), in the place where the rash was previously, crusts form from yellow to brown. The places where the vesicles were located lose their rich color. Gradually, the crusts disappear from them, after which areas of pigmentation remain on the skin.
After the rash has cleared, pain that does not respond well to treatment (postherpetic neuralgia) may remain.

Skin itching as a symptom of diseases of internal organs and skin

Types of itching

In the literature, the term “pruritus” refers to a sensation that induces a targeted scratching reflex.In the scientific literature, itching is also referred to as “pruritus” (from Latin prūrio – to scratch). Often, this phenomenon is one of the first symptoms of not only skin, but also internal diseases, diseases of the nervous system, hormonal disorders and even tumors. That is why itching is currently regarded as an “interdisciplinary symptom” and in some cases even isolated as a separate disease.

Allocate general (generalized) and local (localized) pruritus. Acute generalized – more often it is a consequence of food, drug allergies, reactions to cold, heat, etc.Generalized pruritus is often a symptom of serious illnesses: diabetes mellitus, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, malignant neoplasms, etc.

Localized itching occurs most often in the scalp and anogenital area and is paroxysmal in nature. The reasons for the development of this phenomenon in the anal area, as a rule, are considered to be chronic inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, infections, incl. helminthic invasions, etc.Long-term sensations are often complicated by the development of a bacterial infection, candidiasis. Localized itching is also observed in the area of ​​rashes in various skin diseases: psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, etc.

The incidence of pruritus in skin and systemic diseases

	Diagnosis	Frequency
	Atopic dermatitis	main symptom, in 100% of cases
	Psoriasis	77-84%
	Herpes zoster / postherpetic neuralgia	58% / 30%
	Chronic kidney disease / dialysis	22%
	Primary biliary cirrhosis	80%
	Diabetes mellitus	3%
	Hyperthyroidism	4-7. 5%
	Anorexia	58%
	Polycythemia Vera	48%
	Hodgkin’s lymphoma	25-35%

Pruritus that persists for more than 6 weeks is defined as chronic.Its frequency among the adult population is, according to research, 8-9%. Chronic phenomena are observed in various skin diseases (atopic dermatitis / neurodermatitis, eczema, prurigo, psoriasis, etc.) and systemic diseases.

Itching for various skin diseases

	Diseases often accompanied by itching	Diseases rarely accompanied by itching
	Inflammatory dermatoses: atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, eczema, lichen planus, prurigo, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, mastocytosis, Gibert’s rosacea, urticaria	Inflammatory dermatoses: scleroderma and lichen sclerosus, Deverji’s disease
	Infectious dermatoses: viral infections, impetigo, head lice, scabies	Genodermatoses: Darier’s disease, Hayley-Haley disease
	Autoimmune dermatoses: bullous dermatoses, incl. including herpetiformis dermatitis Dühring	Tumors: B-cell lymphoma of the skin, basalioma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
	Tumors: T-cell lymphoma of the skin	Other conditions: scars

The mechanism of development of itching

The mechanisms of pruritus in chronic kidney disease are not fully understood. The role of metabolic disorders is suggested, as well as the involvement of opioid receptors in the process and increased dryness of the skin.Itching usually develops after 2-3 months. after the start of hemodialysis, in 25-50% of cases it is generalized, in other cases it is localized. Itching is usually most pronounced in the back and face.

In liver diseases, itching is a very common symptom (observed in 80% of cases of liver cirrhosis, in 15% of all cases of viral hepatitis C). Typically begins in the area of ​​the palms and soles, as well as in the area of ​​friction of clothing. Its intensification is characteristic at night.Over time, itching becomes generalized, while scratching the skin brings little relief.

In endocrine pathology, for example, diabetes mellitus and hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands, itching may be accompanied by a burning sensation, tingling sensation, “creeping creeps”. Lack of vitamin D, minerals, iron also in some cases leads to the development of this phenomenon. With iron deficiency, “aquagenic itching” is often observed (on contact with water). As a rule, restoration of normal levels of iron and minerals leads to the disappearance of any sensations within 2 weeks from the start of therapy.

Itching can be one of the symptoms of tumors and blood diseases. Possible mechanisms of its occurrence are assumed to be toxic effects, allergic reactions to tumor components, as well as a direct irritant effect on the nerves and the brain (with brain tumors).

Systemic diseases that may be accompanied by itching

• Metabolic and endocrinological disorders: chronic renal failure, liver disease, diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, iron deficiency.
• Infectious diseases: HIV infection, parasitosis and helminthic infestations.
• Diseases of the blood: polycythemia vera, myelodysplastic syndrome, lymphoma.
• Neurological diseases: multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, brain and spinal cord tumors, postherpetic neuralgia.
• Psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders: depression, eating disorders, bipolar disorders.

Clinic VIVA

Shingles, or as it is also called, herpes zoster, is an infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus.It attacks nerve and skin cells. People with weakened immunity are most susceptible to shingles. The virus itself does not disappear from the body even after the patient recovers. It “hides” in nerve cells in an inactive state for decades. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor your health to avoid remission. When the first symptoms occur, you must immediately consult a doctor and do not self-medicate, as this can lead to complications.

Shingles symptoms:

• red spots on the skin that grow
• Bubbles form at the site of redness, after drying they become covered with a yellow crust
• enlarged lymph nodes
• itching, soreness

Methods for the diagnosis of shingles:

• examination by a dermatologist, taking anamnesis
• laboratory blood tests

Methods for the treatment of shingles:

• use of antiviral drugs
• use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments
• follow-up and prevention of complications

Qualified doctors work in the Viva clinic network, and all metacentres are equipped with modern technology for conducting high-precision laboratory analyzes.You can choose the most convenient time for a consultation and make an appointment with a doctor in advance.

Cost of services in the Viva clinic

Dermatologists

Subdivisions where the procedure is carried out

Still have questions?

90,000 Burning skin – from urticaria to impetigo. Looking for the reason in Angio Line

Skin burning is a possible reaction of the body to mechanical irritation, sunlight or allergens. A burning sensation, coupled with itching, redness, swelling or soreness, is a symptom of skin diseases or diseases of internal organs.

Dermatological diseases causing burning of the skin:

Alopecia areata

Burning in the affected area along with itching and pain.

Polymorphic dermal vasculitis

Blisters appear at the site of inflammation, irritation is accompanied by burning and pain in the joints.The form of the course resembles chronic urticaria.

Urticaria

Spontaneous blisters cause itching and burning.

Contact dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin under the influence of irritants: cosmetic, household or allergenic.
In a simple and allergic form, burning is an accompanying symptom along with skin soreness and itching.

Eczema

Acute or chronic rash inflammation of the skin due to allergenic exposure, resulting in itching, skin irritation and burning.

Polymorphic photodermatosis

Itchy skin rashes appear after sun exposure. The rash is accompanied by burning and irritation in the neck, chest, shoulders, legs.

Shingles

A disease that affects the skin and nerve tissue caused by the herpes virus. Leads to pain and hypersensitivity. Itching, burning and tingling are possible, but not necessary symptoms of the disease.
At the initial stages of the disease, the disease is difficult to diagnose due to the similarity of symptoms with pleurisy, heart attack, appendicitis and other diseases.

Rubrophytosis

Lesions of feet and interdigital skin folds. It is accompanied by swelling, itching, burning and painful sensations.

Perioral dermatitis

Inflammatory processes in the skin of the mouth and chin cause burning and itching. The disease is common in women between the ages of 15 and 45 or adolescents during puberty.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis plaques spread rapidly, engulfing large areas, causing profuse scaling and flaking of the epidermis.
In generalized or erythrodermic form of the course, burning is a concomitant symptom along with malaise and fever.

Impetigo

Bubbles in the lips or genitals caused by streptococcus bacteria fill with fluid. The disease is accompanied by itching and burning.

Rosacea

With severe redness of the skin of the face and neck caused by the expansion of capillaries, tingling and burning are felt. The sensations intensify after stress or alcohol consumption.

If the burning sensation continues for several days, complicated by other symptoms, consult a dermatologist immediately.

Shingles herpes zoster – a small but boring disease

– Dear authors of the “Health” column! I am asking you to help. In February 2010, my husband fell ill, diagnosed with shingles of the lower leg. The external eruptions disappeared within ten days, but pains and a burning sensation in the lower leg remained. Drug treatment does not help, the doctors say that they did everything they could, they can do nothing more.Advise, how to be treated at home?

Alexandra Ivanovna,

Yalutorovsk

– Dear Alexandra Ivanovna! Shingles is one of the infectious, low-contagious skin diseases. Doctors believe that the disease is not dangerous, they do not pay much attention to it. The causative agent is known, it is assumed that it is a virus. The diagnosis is established on the basis of the clinical picture, since there are several types of these lichens, such as lichen planus, pityriasis versicolor, etc.etc.

Usually, the disease begins with the appearance on the skin, more often on the trunk, of a single large pink patch of round or oval shape – the so-called maternal plaque. Then there are multiple small pink oval spots that cause itching. Gradually the spots acquire a brownish color.

Treatment in medical institutions is carried out by relieving the symptoms of the disease for a short time. Sometimes it is believed that the disease is associated with changes in the nervous system, so they try to give sedatives.Antibiotics are prescribed internally, topically, with an exacerbation, glucocorticoid ointments are prescribed. It is recommended to use cotton linen, it is forbidden to wash with soap and a washcloth.

Did you not pay attention to what drugs the doctor prescribed? These could be antiviral drugs: acyclovir, zovirax, spamciclovir. They quickly get rid of rashes, stop the spread of lichen throughout the body, and reduce pain. The affected areas of the skin can be lubricated with brilliant green.

In homeopathic pharmacies there are medicinal plant preparations.The treatment regimen includes, for example, neurin, which treats pain in cases of shingles. If the pain is unbearable, take ketorol, analgin, diclofenac.

You can dry the bubbles with a simple folk remedy – hot fried onions. Take an onion, cut off the top, prick on a fork and hold over the fire until it begins to brown. Refrigerate until pleasantly warm and apply to the sore spot. Cool down – cut another slice of onion and fry.

If the blisters are dry and the pain persists, try the cold.Dip a napkin or towel in cold water, wring it out, apply to the affected area. The colder it is, the better. Avoid anything that can heat blistered skin. The heat will only irritate the skin.

Doctors often recommend that in case of shingles, do not wet sore spots, do not go to the bathhouse. In the spring of this year, our neighbor, Pyotr Vasilyevich, after long trips to the doctors, decided to listen to the opinion of folk healers and neglected the advice not to go to the bathhouse. On the contrary, taking a birch broom, he not only steamed, but rubbed the leaves in his palms and rubbed them thickly on the sore spots. A few days later I noticed an improvement and decided to repeat the procedure. Each time the situation improved, after 4 procedures all signs of the disease disappeared. But for prophylaxis, he used birch medicine several more times. This is explained quite simply: birch leaves have a strong bactericidal effect, which is why their help in infectious diseases is so effective. In addition, birch leaves create an alkaline environment that inhibits disease growth.

Another method.Immerse yourself in the starch bath. Toss a handful of starch or oatmeal colloidal solution into the water bath and sit down to get a good wet. Do the procedure in 20 minutes. before sleep.

Of course, celandine is not in vain received such a name. He will definitely help you, but it is better to make oil from this plant. Chop a few branches, cover with vegetable oil in a 1: 1 ratio, put in a water bath: over low heat in boiling water for one hour. Then squeeze the mixture through cheesecloth. If you add lard, preferably lard, you can make an ointment. Instead of lard, beeswax will do.

Squeezes can be used as a compress. Before that, it is useful to lubricate the skin with hellebore water. It is sold in pharmacies, but it needs to be diluted 2 times. After that, grease the sore spots with celandine oil, which was prepared. It can be stored under normal room conditions. The number of procedures that will be required to cure, determine for yourself, but it is useful to repeat it several times and after all skin problems have been removed.

Infusions of chamomile or calendula flowers have good antiseptic properties. 1 tbsp. l. inflorescences to insist 30 minutes. in a glass of boiling water, periodically lubricate sore spots with infusion. You can make a vodka tincture.

1 tbsp. l. Pour crushed peppermint with a glass of hot water, boil for 5-10 minutes, leave for half an hour, lubricate sore skin. Viburnum will help treat the disease: sore spots are smeared with juice. The juice of wild strawberries heals in the same way.Burdock medicine will help. In this case, compresses are made from leaves infused in boiling water, they are applied at night. Pour a tablespoon of buckwheat with two glasses of boiling water. Cook like porridge. Wipe the diseased areas with broth once or twice a day.

Lichen doesn’t like whey. It is necessary to moisten a thin towel in cold milk whey, the colder it is, the better, squeeze and apply to sore spots. As soon as the towel warms up, soak it again in cold whey.Repeat several times until the pain and itching subside. If there is no whey at the right time, lotions can be done with cold water, but it is whey that speeds up the healing process. And so that the disease does not recur, I advise you to cleanse the body, then start strengthening the immune system.

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