What is postherpetic neuralgia?

Painful: Postherpetic neuralgia is a severe, lancinating nerve pain syndrome that develops at the site of the rash in some patient who have shingles. The pain can last for weeks to years after the rash is gone. It is difficult to treat, and can be very frustrating to sufferers. The incidence of this complication can be reduced by initiating antiviral meds within a day or two of onset of the rash.

Nerve Damage: A painful condition that follows a bout of shingles or herpes zoster. This occurs in people that have had chicken pox earlier in life when the virus reactivates in their nervous system..An immunization is available for patients over 50 to reduce the chance of this reactivation happening. Condition is not generally seen in younger people unless they are immunocompromised or under unusual stress.