What Are the Causes of Postherpetic Neuralgia?
The most likely source of any neuralgia is irritation or inflammation of a nerve or pressure on a nerve from bones or connective tissue. In postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve inflammation is caused by a recent infection by varicella- zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Not everyone who has shingles is stricken with the pain afterward. But as many as 20% to 30% do go on to develop postherpetic neuralgia. Doctors have identified a number of factors that increase your chances of developing postherpetic neuralgia once you have shingles. Having multiple risk factors seems to increase your chances of getting postherpetic neuralgia. They include: • Older age • Being a woman • Presence of symptoms before the rash appeared, such as numbness, tingling, itching, or pain • Severity of pain during initial stages of the illness • Severity of rash Psychological stress may also play a role. One study found that people who developed postherpetic neuralgia were more likely to have had sy
