Is it possible that other diseases/conditions could limit the patient’s abilities to overcome Herpes Zoster quickly?
Is it possible that other diseases/conditions could limit the patient’s abilities to overcome Herpes Zoster quickly?
Herpes zoster can be treated with properly selected medications. However, it causes some complications which do not let patients overcome the disease as quickly as possible (Janniger, 2017). One such disease developed as a complication of herpes zoster is post-herpetic neuralgia. It is a frequent complication that develops among half of the patients with herpes zoster older than sixty. Also, herpes zoster can stimulate the occurrence of “conjunctivitis, keratitis, corneal ulceration, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, and decreased visual acuity or blindness” (Janniger, 2017, para. 3). These conditions demand the prolongation of antiviral therapy.
Can patients aged 60 and older get Herpes Zoster more than once?
Yes, any person can get herpes zoster more than once. There is not much research on the issue of herpes zoster recurrence. However, the existing studies reveal the possibility of disease recurrence from 96 days to 10 years after the first case (Marcin, 2016). Nevertheless, the rate of people who get shingles for the second time is relatively low and varies between 5.7 and 6.2 percent (Marcin, 2016).
