Postherpetic neuralgia is a condition that is accompanied by pain and usually follows an episode of herpes zoster. The term itself refers to the condition (pain after herpes).
Shingles (herpes zoster) - the cause is the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which is latent in the human body and for unknown reasons is activated and causes an episode of herpes zoster. The exact reasons for the activation of the virus are not yet known.
The reactivated virus spreads along the nerves, causing pain and rashes or small blisters on the skin. Typically, shingles rash and pain usually occur on one side of the torso or head. Most often, rashes occur in the chest area. The disease usually lasts for several weeks and goes away without leaving a trace. But sometimes the virus damages nerve fibers, which results in pain and other symptoms after the rash disappears. This is postherpetic neuralgia
Symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia vary (depending on the individual characteristics of the individual) and may include severe pain, numbness, tingling, and paresthesia in the area affected by the viral infection. Postherpetic neuralgia can have a negative impact on both daily life and ability to work. But, at present, there are quite effective ways to treat this condition (physiotherapy, drug treatment).
Risk factors
Only those who have had chickenpox can get shingles. But there are certain groups that are more susceptible to postherpetic neuralgia:
- Age – the chance of postherpetic neuralgia is higher in the older age group. (30% of people over 60 years of age who have had herpes zoster subsequently develop postherpetic neuralgia) and only 10% of the younger group develop postherpetic neuralgia.
- Localization of rashes - symptoms of neuralgia are more pronounced if the rashes were in the forehead or eyes.
- Concomitant pathology – The presence of a suppressed immune system (after chemotherapy or taking immunosuppressants) or diseases such as AIDS.
Early treatment of herpes zoster is important. Treatment started within 2-3 days after the rash appears can help reduce symptoms and avoid the risk of postherpetic neuralgia.
Is it possible to lead a normal lifestyle with an ovarian cyst?
The diagnosis of an ovarian cyst does not impose strict restrictions on the usual lifestyle of most patients. However, there are still a number of contraindications.
Contraindications for ovarian cysts:
- Visiting a sauna or steam bath
- Taking a hot bath
- Massage, wraps and other spa treatments
- Various physiotherapeutic procedures (if they are not prescribed by a gynecologist)
- Tanning in direct sunlight
- Intense sports
- Self-medication
Causes
Postherpetic neuralgia has a specific pathogenesis. Nerves in their structure are similar to electrical wires that run throughout the body and conduct impulses from the central nervous system and back, with information about the state of organs and tissues. Sensory nerves transmit pain, temperature, and tactile sensations.
Postherpetic neuralgia occurs when the shingles virus damages sensory nerves. Damaged nerves begin to function poorly and send pain impulses to the central nervous system. This leads to chronic pain or sensory disturbances in certain areas of the body.
Exposure to high temperatures
The bath is an effective method of active influence through temperature and humidity. Warming up has been considered a powerful healing agent since ancient times.
Human skin receives powerful healing from warming procedures, because it consists of many sebaceous and sweat glands. The influence of vapors and high temperatures helps to activate sweating, open and clean pores, and detox the body.
Warmed air has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, respiratory system, reproductive system, urinary system, kidneys, and bile.
Going to the steam room is useful for women with various problems in the functioning of the genital organs, with hormonal imbalance, and during menopause.
Symptoms
Symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia typically occur only in the area of the body affected by shingles and include:
- Pain (can be sharp, cutting, throbbing, burning),
- Numbness, tingling, itching
- Headaches if shingles is localized to the head or face
- Rarely, muscle weakness or paralysis if the nerve supplying a particular muscle is damaged.
Sometimes patients experience allodynia. Allodynia is a reaction that is not proportionate to the stimulus (that is, the patient reacts to minor stimuli such as a slight change in temperature or the touch of clothing with severe pain).
Can you have sex with an ovarian cyst?
There is no clear answer to the question whether you can have sex with an ovarian cyst or not. It all depends on the individual case.
Basically, a cyst is not an obstacle to a full sexual life. But with such a diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude physical stress on the abs, so a woman should avoid sexual positions in which she will strain her abdominal muscles. The load on the abdominal muscles is fraught with rupture or torsion of the cyst. Intense intimate marathons with significant overall physical load on a woman’s body are also highly undesirable.
However, there are cases when sex with an ovarian cyst is contraindicated:
- If the cyst is large (about 10 cm)
- If sexual intercourse causes pain (to avoid cyst rupture, do not ignore this pain)
If a patient is undergoing surgery to remove an ovarian cyst, the woman may also wonder: is it possible to soon return to an active sexual life with an ovarian cyst removed? Provided the operation is successfully performed and the test results are good after it, the patient can begin intimate life again within a month.
By the way, an interesting fact: scientists have proven that regular sex, which brings pleasure to a woman, has a positive effect on the hormonal balance in her body, and as a result helps prevent the formation of ovarian cysts.
Diagnosis
If pain occurs after an episode of rashes or sensory disturbances, you should consult a doctor. Diagnosis is based on medical history, examination and laboratory tests (necessary to exclude other diseases). Instrumental diagnostic methods (CT, MRI, EMG, ultrasound) are prescribed only if there is a need for differential diagnosis.
Forecast
Exercise therapy, physiotherapy and drug treatment in most cases help reduce symptoms and restore quality of life. Especially if treatment is carried out in a timely manner.
Can there be a delay in menstruation with an ovarian cyst?
Delayed menstruation is also one of the main symptoms of ovarian cysts. Associated symptoms for the diagnosis of ovarian cyst can be found in the previous section of the article.
In general, women often experience irregular menstrual cycles, which can be due to many reasons. Typically the cycle length is from 21 to 35 days. It is believed that a delay of up to 5 days is not a cause for concern; beyond this time, it is already a recommendation to consult your gynecologist.
Very often, menstrual irregularities and delayed menstruation are caused by functional ovarian cysts (follicular and corpus luteum cysts). The fact is that the cells that make up these cysts produce the hormone progesterone. If it is produced in too large quantities, then its effect on the body in the second phase of the cycle is prolonged until menstruation is delayed (the hormonal background cannot ensure timely rejection of the endometrium) or, on the contrary, bleeding (due to uneven rejection of the endometrium of the uterus).
Often, delays in menstruation begin to occur several months before the appearance of the cyst, when the pathological process of formation has already begun. Therefore, gynecologists often predict the early detection of an ovarian cyst if menstruation begins to be delayed for no apparent reason or health problem. And the delays do not have to be long - 7 days are already considered a dangerous signal.
That is why, at the slightest suspicion, it would be a good idea to undergo a gynecological examination. Do not be afraid if your doctor recommends surgical removal of an ovarian cyst. It is better to do this in a timely manner using a gentle laparoscopy method and preserve the functionality of the ovary and reproductive function than to ignore the problem and develop health problems, the least of which will be infertility.
Treatment
Drug treatment:
- Analgesics such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol, Tempra), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and Celebrex.
- Opioids – Your doctor may prescribe opioid analgesics for severe pain that is not controlled by regular analgesics, but these medications should be used with caution due to the risk of serious side effects. For example: This group includes tramadol or oxycodone. Some studies suggest that oxycodone may also help reduce allodynia.
- Antidepressants – These medications are effective in treating depression. In addition, they improve sleep (for example, amitriptyline, Cymbalta, etc.).
- Anticonvulsants – Drugs in this group are intended mainly for the prevention of convulsive conditions. But sometimes they are quite effective for postherpetic neuralgia (Neurontin, Lyrica, Topamax, carbamazepine).
- Blocks - Injections of corticosteroid into paravertebral points sometimes lead to a significant reduction in pain.
- Local painkillers - ointments, gels containing analgesics or anesthetics (lidocaine). Helps temporarily reduce symptoms.
The benefits and harms of visiting
A frequent question from patients with neuralgia is whether they can go to the bathhouse. The steam room improves blood flow in the skin and relaxes muscles well. But patients with acute inflammation, infections, problems with the heart, blood vessels, thrombosis, varicose veins should not overuse visits or undergo other thermal procedures.
A bath will not help cure intercostal neuralgia. And if it worsens, it will only aggravate the inflammatory process, causing dangerous complications.
Visiting the steam room with neuralgia is allowed only after completely eliminating diseases that are considered a contraindication to the procedure. Accurate and timely diagnosis and identification of the cause of the disorder helps prevent many problems.
You can wash in the bathhouse only after permission from your doctor.
Recommendations
Before visiting the steam room, you need to check with your doctor whether it is possible to heat your back. The specialist will tell you in detail about the disease and give individual recommendations.
Alcohol in the bathhouse is strictly prohibited. Even 50 g of alcohol can turn a regular visit to a steam room into a critical situation, when you need to call an ambulance.
You can’t eat enough in the bathhouse, but it’s also forbidden to go there on an empty stomach. A stuffed stomach increases tension throughout the body and increases the load on the heart, which may not have enough resources to function normally. But increased sweating on an empty stomach also contributes to accelerated waste of energy resources and will cause a loss of strength.
Drinking water is allowed, but only with caution. Body fluid loss is not so critical. But with sweat, salts also disappear, which are even more important to replenish. It is recommended to drink warm mineral water in small sips and often. Then you don't have to worry. If you drink a chilled drink, you are more likely to get sick.
Visiting recommendations
Steaming with intercostal neuralgia is allowed only outside periods of exacerbation, when the attack has been completely stopped. The condition after acute pain should improve significantly, and the discomfort should completely subside. Until this moment, you need to maintain complete rest, move as little as possible, and ideally stick to bed rest for several days.
Prevention
Certain antiviral medications may help prevent or reduce the effects of shingles, thereby reducing the risk of postherpetic neuralgia:
- Chickenpox vaccine – The varicella zoster virus vaccine (Varivax) is now a routine childhood vaccine, but may also be recommended for older children and adults who have never had chickenpox. This vaccine does not guarantee that a person will not get chickenpox or shingles, but it may reduce the duration and severity of symptoms and the risk of complications such as postherpetic neuralgia.
- Shingles vaccine - (Zostavax) can be given to people over 60 years of age (who have had chickenpox but not shingles). Zostavax is not recommended for use in certain groups of people (for example, those undergoing cancer treatment or those who are immunocompromised).
- Antiviral medications – Antiviral medications such as acyclovir, valocyclovir, famciclovir, when taken within the first 72 hours after the shingles rash appears, can help shorten the duration of shingles and reduce the chance of developing postherpetic neuralgia.
Physiotherapy helps reduce pain and relieve inflammation. Various techniques are used (including transcutaneous electrical stimulation).
Exercise therapy helps restore the elasticity of ligaments and muscles. Exercises can be carried out both on simulators and in the form of gymnastics.
Acupuncture. This method is quite effective in restoring conductivity and reducing pain.
Can there be a false positive pregnancy test with an ovarian cyst?
Gynecologists answer this question in the affirmative - an ovarian cyst can indeed be the cause of a positive test in the absence of pregnancy. But usually the second stripe in the test appears weakly, not bright enough.
However, if you understand the problem, it usually turns out that this result is not caused by a cyst, but by a cystoma - a hormonally active tumor on the ovary. Ultrasound cannot distinguish a cyst from a cystoma, which produces hormones that may well distort the test result, so the doctor who performed the ultrasound examination calls any large cavity formation a cystic formation in the conclusion. And in common parlance it is most often called simply a cyst.
However, if an ultrasound reveals a tumor, and against this background, a pregnancy test after a missed period shows a positive result, this is a serious indicator that the woman should undergo additional examinations to rule out suspicion of a malignant tumor.
In addition to the cystoma, other factors can affect an incorrect test result:
- Incorrect application of the test
- Using test that has passed its expiration date, is damaged in packaging, or has been improperly stored
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Irregular menstrual cycle (if there is no set period between periods, then you should not seriously consider using the test as a method of determining pregnancy)
- Use of contraceptives
- Ovarian dysfunction
