Understanding postherpetic neuralgia - symptoms

What are the symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia?

Neuralgia occurs in one part of your body, typically on one side. Postherpetic neuralgia follows the area that was affected by the shingles along the distribution of the specific nerve. The pain may be:

• Sudden, shooting, sharp, burning or stabbing
• Accompanied by a background sensation of burning, itching or aching, or by hypersensitivity to touch
• Continuous or may come and go
• Long lasting - continuing for days, weeks or longer

Call your doctor about postherpetic neuralgia if:

• You suspect that the pain is caused by a spinal problem, a herniated disc or a pinched nerve.
• You experience pain that is particularly severe or lasts longer than one week. This may develop into postherpetic neuralgia and early treatment may help reduce severity and duration of the pain.
• Facial neuralgia spreads to an eye after a herpes attack; this can lead to blindness if untreated.
• The pain becomes too great to bear. Nerve damage could result.