Case study ( 10883 views as of December 3, 2024 )
Mike and Mary are planning to travel in the new year and want to find out what is the best thing they can do to keep healthy while travelling. Given that they are recently both retired at age 63 years, they are thinking about a new phase of their life and enjoying a trip around the world.
Unfortunately, Mike recently developed a case of Shingles and as a result now suffers from a painful condition called post herpetic neuralgia. Post herpetic neuralgia is caused by the zoster virus when it damages nerve endings on the surface of the skin. It can last for months up to years and can be debilitating for some patients.
Due to the long lasting, extreme pain that Mike was experiencing, his family physician recommended seeing a psychologist, neurologist and/or pain specialist to help him deal with the chronic pain resulting from the shingles.
They would now like to know what they can do to prevent shingles from occurring. They especially want to protect Mary from getting shingles and the horrible consequences of post herpetic neuralgia. They want to know more about the vaccine that can prevent shingles and have a lot of questions for their physician about it.
Mike and Mary may wish to consider which healthcare professionals can administer the shingles vaccine, and also ask how a psychologist can help with treating chronic pain. They can also benefit from understanding how a neurologist can adjust medications to help with chronic neuropathic pain. Finally, working with a chronic pain specialist can help Mike improve his quality of life.
Author: Dr. Daniel Ngui
Conversation based on: The Importance of Preventing Shingles (Herpes Zoster) " Mike a 63 year old retired exceutive "
The Importance of Preventing Shingles (Herpes Zoster) " Mike a 63 year old retired exceutive "