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Suggest Treatment For Shingles On The Face
Question: We have a friend who has been diagnosed with shingles on their face, near the eye.
She is elderly, has missed recent MD appointments.
Talking with XXXX on the telephone, she sounded very weak and sleepy.
XXXX is taking medication daily, according to her daughter.
How contagious is shingles to visit XXXX at home?
XXXX reportedly, has not been to a MD for several weeks. If XXXX does not keep her appointment on Tuesday Dec. 20, what further complications may occur?
If XXXX does not keep her appointment on Tuesday, December 20th, in your opinion as a Medical Doctor , would a telephone call to Social Services, of Salisbury, MD be considered an indicated follow-up.
She is elderly, has missed recent MD appointments.
Talking with XXXX on the telephone, she sounded very weak and sleepy.
XXXX is taking medication daily, according to her daughter.
How contagious is shingles to visit XXXX at home?
XXXX reportedly, has not been to a MD for several weeks. If XXXX does not keep her appointment on Tuesday Dec. 20, what further complications may occur?
If XXXX does not keep her appointment on Tuesday, December 20th, in your opinion as a Medical Doctor , would a telephone call to Social Services, of Salisbury, MD be considered an indicated follow-up.
Brief Answer:
Shingles is not very infectious. This lady needs urgent check with a doctor
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.
Shingles is a viral infection that sleeps in our nerve endings and time after time might reactivate causing skin rash and pain in certain areas of the skin.
Old age is one of the riks factors that they might be activated and might have worse outcome in old age also. Other reasons might be situations of stress or physical stress or certain viral infections that might weaken us and makes the virus reactivate.
If the rash is around the eyes than this lady is at risk for corneal ulcers due to varicella zoster. These might cause severe eye pain and in a few days might cause vision loss and corneal scaring with healing which also contributes in vision loss.
it is very important for this lady to see a doctor as soon as possible as the medications for the shingles work if they are started early. Within 3 days of the rash is the best.
She will need a check of her vision, eye check with simple light and also fluoresceine examinaiton of the eye if it is suspected to have corneal ulcers.
As for the visitors seing the lady with shingles- varicella, the causing virus of shingles is very contagious in the prinary form with the chicken pox variant that is spread with respiratory droplets and the lesions are all over the body with fever and that generally children are affected. After this first episode it sleeps in the body and "wakes up"time after time but does not spread with blood but only on the nerve that it affects so it is less contagious, the respiratory droplets are not infectious. the only way she might be infectious is if you touch the lesions and the secretions they produce which is not a common expousure while you are just visiting. If you will have to manipulate with the wounds you will need to ware gloves.
Washing hands with warm water and soap or hand sanitizers after the visit of someone with skin lesions, is still a good habit to prevent infection.
I will refrain again that if shingles has affected her eye this is an eye medical emergency and she needs to see the doctor as soon as possible and probably December 20- is a late appointment as the treatment has best affect if started as soon as possible but at least withing 72 hours of the appearance of the rash.
I hope this is helpful to you and answers to your questions.
Kind regards
Dr Antoneta Zotaj
Shingles is not very infectious. This lady needs urgent check with a doctor
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.
Shingles is a viral infection that sleeps in our nerve endings and time after time might reactivate causing skin rash and pain in certain areas of the skin.
Old age is one of the riks factors that they might be activated and might have worse outcome in old age also. Other reasons might be situations of stress or physical stress or certain viral infections that might weaken us and makes the virus reactivate.
If the rash is around the eyes than this lady is at risk for corneal ulcers due to varicella zoster. These might cause severe eye pain and in a few days might cause vision loss and corneal scaring with healing which also contributes in vision loss.
it is very important for this lady to see a doctor as soon as possible as the medications for the shingles work if they are started early. Within 3 days of the rash is the best.
She will need a check of her vision, eye check with simple light and also fluoresceine examinaiton of the eye if it is suspected to have corneal ulcers.
As for the visitors seing the lady with shingles- varicella, the causing virus of shingles is very contagious in the prinary form with the chicken pox variant that is spread with respiratory droplets and the lesions are all over the body with fever and that generally children are affected. After this first episode it sleeps in the body and "wakes up"time after time but does not spread with blood but only on the nerve that it affects so it is less contagious, the respiratory droplets are not infectious. the only way she might be infectious is if you touch the lesions and the secretions they produce which is not a common expousure while you are just visiting. If you will have to manipulate with the wounds you will need to ware gloves.
Washing hands with warm water and soap or hand sanitizers after the visit of someone with skin lesions, is still a good habit to prevent infection.
I will refrain again that if shingles has affected her eye this is an eye medical emergency and she needs to see the doctor as soon as possible and probably December 20- is a late appointment as the treatment has best affect if started as soon as possible but at least withing 72 hours of the appearance of the rash.
I hope this is helpful to you and answers to your questions.
Kind regards
Dr Antoneta Zotaj
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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