Knowing the early signs of shingles may save you years of pain
(BPT) – Did you know almost one out of three people in America will develop shingles in their lifetime? A whopping 1 million Americans experience the condition each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Understanding the early signs and symptoms can help you protect yourself and loved ones and may enable you to enroll in a clinical trial of a new drug therapy designed to treat the pain associated with shingles.
‘Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, can effect anyone who has recovered from chickenpox at any age, but as you get older you are more likely to get the disease,’ says Stephen K. Tyring, M.D., Ph.D., dermatologist and virologist. ‘In fact, the majority of shingles cases occur in people age 50 years or older.’
Dr. Tyring says that the first sign of shingles is often pain, burning or tingling on the torso or face. This can occur one to five days before the physical signs of shingles – typically a rash and blisters – appear. This can make early diagnosis difficult.
‘Shingles is challenging to identify in its early stage because the pain appears to not be associated with a particular disease. Making patients aware of the early symptoms is important because if shingles progresses without treatment the pain may increase and the rash and blistering will become more pronounced,’ commented Dr. Tyring.
Dr. Tyring urges everyone to be aware of the early signs of shingles and the importance of seeking treatment immediately. People tend to try to ‘wait it out’ and visit the doctor only when the symptoms and pain become severe. Visiting a doctor promptly within 72 hours of the first blister can help ensure you get the professional advice necessary to overcome the illness.
The rising incidence of shingles highlights the need for better therapies to help patients -particularly those at increased risk, such as seniors or those with a compromised immune system.
A new clinical trial is seeking participants to test a promising drug therapy that is designed to treat the pain associated with shingles, known as post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN. PHN can last for several months or even years after the rash goes away and it occurs in about 20 percent of people who get shingles.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with shingles, you may be able to participate in this important clinical trial. Here are some of the criteria patients must meet in order to participate in the study:
- Be 50 years of age or older.
- Are able to receive your first dose of study medication within 72 hours (3 days) of a possible shingles rash appearing.
- Have not received the shingles vaccine.
‘Shingles is on the rise and more potent drugs are needed,’ says Dr. Tyring. ‘This clinical trial will help the medical community learn more about how to best treat this disease so everyone can stay as healthy as possible.’
Learn more by visiting: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02412917?term=nct02412917&rank=1.