 |
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
|
|
|
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
|
| Home | HealthTopics | Health Centers | Reference Library | Research |
 Join us on Facebook
|
Share on Facebook | Tweet |
|
Infectious Diseases |
Shingles-herpes zoster02/18/2002 |
I am on my four bout of having shingles. How can I prevent this from happening again in the future?
Four episodes of herpes zoster are rather unusual, but not unheard of. I think it would be advisable to perform some in depth investigation to make sure your cellular immune system is working fine: Rule out HIV infection, perhaps other immune suppressive states. Are the `zoster` lesions always in the same area of your skin? In that case I would suspect a dermatomal herpes simplex, which may have multiple recurrences and is observed in otherwise immunocompetent individuals. I would suggest visiting your doctor while you have ACTIVE lesions, and obtaining some baseline blood work as well as a viral culture of the lesions to make a definitive diagnosis of herpes zoster or herpes simplex from the skin lesions: they cannot be distinguished with certainty based on the aspect of the lesions. After a more precise diagnosis is made your doctor can devise an adequate treatment to prevent or delay recurrences. Treatment with antivirals can be helpful, but it is necessary to establish a correct diagnosis first.
|
Francisco Gomez, MD Assistant Professor College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
|
|
Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
|