Shingles...herpes zoster outbreak in San Francisco? Nerve attacker painful!

Everywhere I sauntered this past week in the picturesque city by the Bay - I encountered some unfortunate individual afflicted with "Shingles" - a debilitating unsightly rash otherwise known as Herpes Zoster.

For example, when I was making an appointment for a check up at Davis Campus in San Francisco, a doctor there acknowledged that he suffered through a bout of the nasty skin eruption a couple of weeks ago.

Then, at the pharmacy, a Manager fessed up that her husband came down with shingles.

"It took months to heal," she confided in me.

During the first forty-eight hours or so after the unsuspecting victim becomes infected (and highly contagious to others) the virus attacks any number of major nerves on the individual's body.

For instance, years ago, a friend of mine had the great misfortune of suffering an outbreak of the nasty-looking rash on her forehead and neck.

Usually, Herpes Zoster attacks major nerves - like those that wrap around the rib cage (front-to-back) - leaving a trail of God-awful open sores that appear in all respects to be some un-holy plague  hounding the hapless patient.

Until the sores "drain" - as the doctor succinctly put it - the afflicted person suffers a thousand pin-pricks of sharp pain along the nerve endings which cause unbearable discomfort.

Understandably, the infection prevents the individual from getting proper rest at night - and likewise - interrupts any meaningful involvement in the most-boring-of routines daily until the open wounds eventually "dry up".

In the initial first phase of the infection, pregnant mothers and young children, are the most vulnerable.

Like measles, a shingles outbreak warrants caution, when a person is out-and-about in the community-at-large to ensure the well-being and continued good health of those in the near vicinity are safeguarded.

Unfortunately, there aren't any salves or medicinal creams to alleviate the swelling, tenderness, or reddened areas affected.

The doctor will issue a prescription - an anti-viral - which must be taken faithfully to get the unfortunate infection under control as quickly as possible.

In the interim, the patient would be wise not to scratch the rash, although it will be difficult to resist that temptation.

Without doubt, a strong pain killer may be necessary to provide some relief, until the first outbreak during the initial highly-contagious period  has passed.

Just don't get hooked on the potent controlled substance in the meantime, eh?

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