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in the community, grandpa zhang's laughter is always the loudest. he exercises in the morning, buys groceries in the morning, plays chess at noon, and picks up his grandson from school in the evening... he will greet acquaintances from a distance.

but these days, uncle zhang just wants to lie at home and doesn't want to go anywhere.

this is because he has a tingling sensation on one side of his back. it hurts when clothes touch it, when he takes a shower, and sometimes when he raises his arm.

at first, he thought he had accidentally strained a muscle in his back, but after two or three days, the pain did not subside, but became more and more severe, making it impossible for him to eat or sleep.

then, a small red spot appeared on mr. zhang's back, which gradually turned into small blisters. his wife, aunt liu, couldn't bear to watch it anymore and rushed him to the hospital.

"shingles?" aunt liu was surprised when she heard the doctor's diagnosis of uncle zhang.

a few years ago, she herself had shingles, but the pain didn't seem to be that severe at that time, and was far less severe than that of grandpa zhang.

however, mr. zhang has always suffered fromhypertensionanddiabetes, but aunt liu has no underlying diseases.

the doctor explained that mr. zhang's chronic illness made himshinglesthen “pain upon pain”!

herpes zoster is an infectious skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus^[1]。

an estimated 90% of adults have been infected with the virus^[2]after the initial infection is cured, the virus will remain "latent" in the patient's body. when the patient ages and the immune function declines, the virus may be reactivated, causing herpes zoster^[1]。

after herpes zoster occurs,one side of the body(often between the ribs, under the arms, or in the waist)clusters of herpes appearband distribution^[1](commonly found in the intercostal and trigeminal nerve regions)——therefore, shingles is also vividly called "dragon around the waist" or "snake around the waist" in some places.

in addition to herpes on the body, another typical symptom of shingles is that people who have had it never want to recall it again -pain！

the pain of shingles often occurs at different stages of the disease.

1. prodromal pain

70%-80% of herpes zoster patients will feel pain before herpes appears on their bodies. the pain is usually located inthe site before the rash appeared^[3]. it may also be accompanied by low fever, general discomfort, etc.

some people may feel the pain as "pins and needles", while others may feel "burning". this "prodromal pain" may be continuous or intermittent. in most cases, it will last for2-3 days, and may last for 1 week or more^[3]。

2. acute pain

after the onset of shingles, patients will also feel pain at the site of the rash and blisters.

the pain can also feel like burning, electric shock, or stabbing, which is equally unbearable. about 69.6% of patients have moderate to severe pain.^[4]。

the acute pain of herpes zoster may last from a few days to a month.^[5]。

3. chronic pain(also called“postherpetic neuralgia”)

this refers to pain that occurs more than 90 days after the rash appears.^[6], the site is usually larger than the herpes area.

even if the rash heals, the pain may persist for more than a year or even 10 years.^[1], seriously affecting the normal life of patients and their families^[7]。

and those that have somepatients with underlying diseasesthe risk of postherpetic neuralgia is higher than that of healthy people^[8]。

middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old, is a high-risk group for herpes zoster, and the older they are, the more likely they are to get sick and the more serious the condition is.^[1]。

it is estimated that there are approximately 1,000 new cases of herpes zoster in people over 50 years old in my country each year.1.56 million people^[9]。

in addition, compared with the general population, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.chronic disease patients26-41% increased risk of developing shingles^[10-11]。

andpatients with autoimmune diseases(such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus)the risk of developing shingles is 2.3-4 times higher than the general population^[11-12]。

here is a special reminder: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory system diseases, etc.chronic disease patientsonce you get herpes zoster,the pain you feel is more intense than that of people who don't have these diseases.^[13]。

in other words, people with chronic diseases are both more susceptible to shingles and, if they do, experience more severe pain—it’s truly a “double whammy”!

once herpes zoster is diagnosed, the clinician will promptly giveantiviral therapy, in order to shorten the course of the disease and reduce its severity.within 3 days after the rash appearsinitiation of antiviral therapy is most effective^[1]。

timely and effectiveantiviral therapyit can quickly control viral replication, shorten the course of the disease, and reduce the occurrence of complications, thereby improving the patient's quality of life.

in addition, your doctor may prescribe pain medication forrelieve pain, use compresses or creams forrelieve itching。

however, the best way to stay away from pain is to not get shingles!

this requires us to have a balanced diet, moderate exercise, adequate sleep, and control blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight in our daily lives.improve immune function to reduce the risk of shingles^[1]。

vaccination is also an effective way to prevent herpes zoster.^[2]。

may no one experience the pain of shingles!

if the public has relevant medical needs, please consult healthcare professionals (such as community health service centers) to obtain personal medical advice. np-cn-sgx-smp-240026 is valid until february 2026, and expiration is equivalent to invalidation.

*produced by tencent medical content team