Understanding And Treating Zoster In Children - Ayushveda

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Zoster, or shingles, is a viral illness which is not rampant in children but can be more frequently found in humans who have had chicken pox (or chicken pox vaccination). Nonetheless, the incidence of zoster can be more than it is generally realized, possibly because childhood zoster is not too troubling and can be taken care of without indulging into cumbersome treatment procedures.

Zoster and Its Effect on Children?s Health

Zoster is characterized by a painful skin rash inflammation with blisters usually observed in a stripe. The varicella zoster (VZ) virus supposedly gets activated, which can be outcome of a previous episode of chickenpox, leading to this illness. The initial infection causes short-lived illness (chickenpox); after chickenpox gets resolved, the virus still remains inside the body and can lead to shingles. There can be a gap of several years between the initial infection and onset of shingles. Children can experience a painless herpes zoster but older people can experience severe illness.

Children who have not had chickenpox are likely not to get zoster and hence the incidence can be low in children (compared to adults). Studies point out a positive relation between advancing age and likelihood of contacting zoster. Children who have had varicella during infancy (or before birth) are at greater risk of developing zoster. Varicella vaccination reduces the incidence of zoster as against natural infection.

A research indicates that children with asthma are at a higher risk for developing shingles, which is followed by herpes zoster virus infection. Infants usually are not infected with herpes zoster; but there is not a zero probability of its occurrence. Infection can be mild and characterized by rash.

Transmission of Zoster Virus in Children

Zoster is a contagious disease and can be transferred through direct contact with the active lesion. The lesion should not be contacted until it becomes dry and crusted. It can also be spread through respiratory route. However, zoster is potentially only one third infectious as primary varicella infection. It can be caught by persons lacking immunity to the VZ virus.

Reduced immunity increases the risk of chickenpox. Infants born before 28 weeks gestation or having birth weight lesser than 1 kg are also likely to get chickenpox; irrespective of whether the mother had received vaccination for chickenpox (or the illness itself), her baby is at risk.

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The Occurrence, Trend and Complications of Zoster

In the U.S. and other nations, there seems an overall increase in the occurrence of herpes zoster. Nonetheless, the U.S. reveals a declining rate of herpes zoster in children. When children get vaccinated against varicella, they are apparently at a lower risk of re-activating the (vaccine-strain) VZV.

According to many studies, there has been an increasing incidence of herpes zoster before the varicella vaccination programs started. The reason for this increase is not certain; there is no evidential support to show that the increased incidence of herpes zoster is linked to varicella vaccination programs.

According to data on healthy children, there is a reduced risk of herpes zoster in those vaccinated against varicella.?Possible complications of herpes zoster in children include secondary bacterial infection, meningoencephalitis and herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Treatment and Prevention of Zoster?in Children

Zoster vaccine, which is believed to be both protective and cost effective, can be administered for preventing the illness.?Treatment is aimed at limiting the severity and duration of pain, reducing the duration of a shingles episode and complications. There may be pain, although uncommon in the pediatric population, which can be treated with conservative therapy.

Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to treat this condition. Lotions and wet dressings (5% aluminium acetate) are also part of the treatment procedure.? In children, herpes zoster can be a mild course of 1-3 weeks. Careful follow-up is needed with particular emphasis on the eyelids to detect ocular consequences.

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Source: http://www.ayushveda.com/magazine/understanding-and-treating-zoster-in-children/

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