Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is caused by damage that occurs to the peripheral nerve fibers during a shingles infection. On average, one out of every five patients with shingles develops PHN. However, the risk of having the condition increases with age -- older people who have suffered from shingles have as much as a 50 percent chance of developing PHN.

Pain associated with PHN can be very intense, often described by patients as deep, aching and unbearable. In some cases, even a light touch, like the pressure of a shirt or gust of wind, can cause intense pain.

Because the pain of PHN can be so awful, it interferes with a person's life. Some PHN patients have to stop their normal activities for months. Also, depression is common because of the severe pain and social isolation that can occur.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007