“Yep, he has shingles.” This is certainly not a phrase that most parents of a 4-year old expect to hear, but it was one we were told two years ago. What we thought started out as an eczema flare-up, ended up being a horrifying experience for our little boy. Basic truths may not hold for your child, so read on and learn how you can cope with shingles in children.
The Rash
Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the virus that causes chicken pox. In fact, you can only get shingles if you have been exposed to varicella zoster; either due to chicken pox or, in some theories, the varicella vaccination. We could not recall where our son had chicken pox, so either he was in the latter category, or he had such a mild case of chicken pox (such as one “pox”), and we just never noticed it at the time. Shingles follows the path of the nerve. Therefore, it usually only affects one side of the body. Our son’s case started at his upper left thigh and ran past his knee, and by the time it was over, it also went up and hallway across his backside. But the rash clearly followed a path. The rash started out as sort of red bumps, which progressed to liquid-filled pustules, and finally a purplish colored pigment before fading away.
The Myth about Pain
While some people claim shingles in children is not as painful as shingles in adults, based on my son’s case, I and my son’s pediatrician could refute this point completely. My baby boy was in so much pain during this time, and even before I could see any indication of his illness, that he would scream because it hurt so much. He cried uncontrollably, and it hurt him so bad just to feel clothing touching his leg, that when he had to visit the doctor, (and therefore wear pants), he ended up having an accident because for the short time his pants and underwear were pulled down to use the restroom, it hurt him so tremendously, he wet himself. Two days preceeding an obvious rash, our son cried and claimed his leg hurt so bad that I rocked him to sleep in the chair, and he insisted on keeping his leg completely straight because he was in pain.
The Relief
While the virus typically has to run its course, there are some medications that can be useful in treating shingles in children. Acyclovir, an antiviral, was prescribed, and may help shorten the duration when given early on in the illness. (probably before the rash appears!) Silvadene was also prescribed, and seemed to give some relief. We kept it in the fridge, and the coolness of the cream seemed to relieve some pain. Of course Tylenol and Motrin can be used as a general pain reliever as well.
If your child does get shingles, the important thing is to comfort your child, and seek medical attention. You will also want to protect any un-exposed people in the household, as you can “catch” chicken-pox from an active, oozing shingles exposure.
To find out more about shingles, please visit: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-topic-overview
