Shingles in children: causes, symptoms, ways to prevent

Shingles or herpes-zoster is a skin disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (the virus that causes chickenpox), which actively infects the body again. In general, this disease can only be experienced after decades of recovering from chickenpox. That's why most of the sufferers are over 60 years old. If so, can shingles occur in children or even babies?

Causes of shingles in children and babies

If the majority (90 percent) of people with chickenpox are children, shingles is a rare disease that occurs in children.

After recovering from chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) does not disappear but remains among the nerve cells of the skin without actively replicating (dormant). But when the virus that causes chickenpox reproduces itself again, it doesn't suddenly wake up from a long sleep just like that.

The mechanism for re-activating the VZV virus is not clear and detailed, but the condition of a weak immune system plays a role in triggering the virus that was originally dormant to replicate again.

Therefore, both elderly people who are immunocompromised and those with immune disorders (immunocompromised) are very at risk of getting this disease after being infected with chickenpox.

Although shingles is a disease that often affects the elderly, now the cases of shingles in children continue to increase. In a 2015 study entitled Herpes Zoster in Children, there were an average of 110 cases of shingles out of 100,000 children.

Immune disorders are the main triggers for reactivation of the VZV virus in children. Immune disorders can be caused by diseases that attack the immune system, such as autoimmune, HIV, and cancer, or undergoing treatment that also weakens the immune system.

The chance of developing shingles in children can be greater if the child has been infected with VZV when he is under one year old or when the baby is still in the womb. However, some cases of shingles can occur in children who are immunocompetent or have abnormal immunity.

Symptoms of shingles in children

Based on deep observational studies Open Journal of Pediatrics in 2015,The symptoms of shingles experienced by children are generally less severe than those of the elderly.

Children are less at risk of developing nerve pain complications post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) as people over 60 years of age.

Each type of smallpox generally shows the symptoms of red rash spots. However, shingles has a characteristic initial symptom of pain and a burning sensation on the skin. After the rash appears, the pain may decrease or even get worse.

The pattern of spread of shingles rash is also different from the symptoms of chickenpox. The shingles rash will appear close together in a circular pattern, surrounding certain parts of the body.

In most cases the rash appears on only one side of the body, the rash pattern that is circular also never crosses the midsection. In children the rash usually appears on the back of the waist or groin.

Within 7-10 days, this red rash will turn into vesicles or bouncy (the skin is blistered and filled with fluid) to then collapse into pustules.

Pustules will dry out and peel off the skin on their own within 2-4 weeks. Apart from the rash, the symptoms of shingles in children such as fever, fatigue, and headaches are also often indicated.

How to deal with shingles in children

The VZV virus infection will naturally weaken over time. However, children can feel very disturbed or uncomfortable with the health problems caused by shingles.

In severe cases, especially if it affects certain parts of the body such as the eyes and ears, infection can increase complications of nerve damage to these organs.

Therefore, both medical treatment and supportive treatment performed at home are urgently needed. Medicines to treat shingles are antivirals as well as pain and fever relievers.

Medical treatment

Antivirus used is acyclovir or valcyclovir. You need to consult a doctor to get a prescription for this drug. The doctor will provide a dosage of the drug along with the rules for use according to the severity of the symptoms of shingles in your child.

The way this drug works is not to get rid of the virus in the body. However, taking acyclovir within 24 hours after the first rash appears has effects such as:

Shorten the period of viral infection.
Reducing the ability of viral infections.
Speed up the drying process of shingles resilient.
Prevents the appearance of new shingles rashes.

While pain relievers to relieve symptoms of pain and burning sensations in the skin that are usually given are analgesic drugs, such as acetaminophen (paracetamol), or topical drugs in the form of creams such as capsaicin and lidocaine.

Home remedies

Children with shingles should take complete rest at home, keep their distance, and limit interactions with the people around them. The reason is, a child who is infected with shingles can transmit the VZV virus and cause chickenpox in people who have not been infected.

While at home you can do this treatment for children:

Prevent the child from scratching the rash that feels painful or itchy.
Apply lotion calamine regularly on the affected skin.
Try the bath tips for chicken pox by soaking in warm water mixed with oatmeal and baking soda.

How to prevent shingles in babies and children

There are vaccines that can provide protection against varicella-zoster virus infection. This vaccine has been shown to be effective in preventing chickenpox, but it cannot prevent the reactivation of the virus that causes shingles in children and infants.

However, the chickenpox vaccine given to people who have been infected can reduce the severity of shingles symptoms in the event of reactivation of the virus.

In addition, vaccination also reduces the chance for children who have been infected with chickenpox to catch shingles when they grow up.

This is proven by research from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers looked at the medical records of 6.3 million children who had the chickenpox vaccine for 12 years, and concluded that the chickenpox vaccine reduced the child's risk of developing shingles as an adult by 78 percent.

Although it is not certain that it can prevent the active replication of the VZV virus, it never hurts to vaccinate children who have been infected with chickenpox or those who have not.

The recommended vaccination for children is 2 times the dose given at the age of 12-18 months and when the age is 4-6 years.