Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

Shingles is an infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus, but not everyone who had chickenpox will develop shingles. Once a person has chicken pox, the virus can stay "quiet" in their nerve tissue for years. But for some people, the virus "awakens" and forms blisters on the skin. The shingles virus can cause a few blisters or an extensive rash that can occur on one side of the body or face¹.

Once the shingles rash has healed, some people may experience severe pain in the same area of the rash as well as beyond that area. This pain is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), or aftershingles pain¹. Out of the one million people who develop shingles every year², about one in five will go on to develop PHN¹.

PHN pain is thought to result from nerve damage caused by the shingles virus. The pain usually appears in the area of the shingles rash, but the size of the PHN pain region can vary considerably¹. In some people, PHN pain can last for months or even years¹.

If you think you may have shingles, you should talk to your healthcare professional. Receiving medical treatment for shingles as soon as possible can lessen the time you have shingles and lower your risk for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) or after-shingles pain.

References

1.Cure PHN: Your Questions Answered. VZV Research Foundation, Inc. 2004: 1-6. Available at: http://www.vzvfoundation.org/publicdownloads/PHN_Brochure_Feb2004.pdf. Accessed April 6, 2009.
2.Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez IR and Seward JF. Prevention of Herpes Zoster: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2008; 57(05): 1-30. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5705a1.htm. Accessed April 6, 2009.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The following groups are dedicated to the education and assistance of patients that suffer from postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), or after-shingles pain. Find out more about after-shingles pain by visiting these websites:

National Council on Aging
www.ncoa.org
American Pain Foundation
www.painfoundation.org
Visiting Nurse Associations of America
www.vnaa.org
National Family Caregivers Association
www.thefamilycaregiver.org
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
www.nfid.org
American Chronic Pain Association
www.theacpa.org

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