What if you get shingles during pregnancy? Let's talk about this without fear!

Have you ever had chickenpox as a child? You may have heard that you can never get chickenpox again. That's true. But, have you heard of another disease that is caused by the same virus that causes it? That's what we're talking about today, shingles. It's caused by the same virus as chickenpox, called Varicella -zoster. It's a very painful, blistering condition. It's normal to feel very scared, especially during pregnancy. But the good news is that this disease is very rare during pregnancy. And even if it does happen, it usually doesn't cause much harm to the mother or the baby. So let's find out more about it.

What are the symptoms? How does a doctor diagnose this?

Simply put, when we get chickenpox as a child, the virus doesn't completely go away. It lies dormant, or hidden, in our nerve cells. As long as our immune system is strong, the virus is kept under control. But if our immune system is weakened for some reason, such as severe stress, another illness, or the use of immunosuppressive drugs, the latent virus becomes active again. But this time, not as chickenpox, but as shingles.

The first symptoms are a burning, tingling, or stabbing pain that occurs on only one side of the body (right side only, left side only). For some, the pain can be unbearable. This pain can also be accompanied by symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, stomach pain, and difficulty urinating.

A few days after the pain begins, a red rash appears at the site of the pain. In a few days, these rash turns into blisters filled with a watery fluid. Usually, within 7 to 10 days, these blisters dry up, crust over, and fall off.

It's usually easy for a doctor to diagnose shingles when they examine you. The blisters are on one side of the body, the inflammation and pain that come with it, and you know you had chickenpox as a child.

How is treatment done during pregnancy?

If you suspect you have shingles, the best thing to do is to see a doctor as soon as possible. Because if you start treatment within the first few days of the onset of the illness, you can reduce the severity of the illness and achieve the ``severe'' we talked about earlier.It can also reduce the risk of developing long-term pain conditions like Postherpetic Neuralgia .

Your doctor will often prescribe antiviral medications such as acyclovir (Zovirax) or valacyclovir (Valtrex). They will check to see if these are safe to use during pregnancy and will give you the best option. It is important to take the medication exactly as your doctor prescribes.

In addition, there are things you can do at home to reduce pain and itching.

How can I avoid this? Is the baby at risk?

The varicella-zoster virus that causes this is very contagious. If you have not had chickenpox before, you should avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox or shingles. It is also a good idea to avoid crowded places as much as possible, especially during pregnancy .

But the important thing here is that if you've had chickenpox before, you can't get shingles from someone else. Shingles only occurs when the virus, which has been dormant in your body, reactivates.

The biggest question on your mind right now is probably, "Will this harm my baby?" Actually, if you get chickenpox during pregnancy, it can have some effect on the baby. However, if you get shingles, the risk to the baby is much lower. A large study has found that babies of mothers who got shingles during pregnancy were not harmed in any way. So there's nothing to worry about.

If you're not sure whether you have chickenpox or not, a doctor can tell for sure with a blood test.

Complications that may sometimes occur

Shingles is a very painful condition. Some people say that even if a piece of clothing touches the area of ​​the skin where the blisters are, it hurts so much. The nerve pain we talked about earlier, called `postherpetic neuralgia`, can sometimes last for years.

In addition, other complications are possible.

• If it occurs on the face: This can damage the eyes. It can cause eye injuries and scarring, which can lead to conditions like glaucoma, which can impair vision and even lead to blindness later on.
• Other effects: Sometimes there may be hearing loss, problems with balance, and muscle weakness on the affected side of the face.
• Most serious cases (very rare): Very rarely, this virus can spread to the brain or spinal cord and cause serious complications such as stroke or meningitis.

However, most of these complications occur in people over 60 years of age or those with very weak immune systems. A healthy woman of childbearing age is at very low risk of developing these. However, if you have shingles and it seems to affect your eyes, or if you have any other unusual symptoms outside of the blister area, tell your doctor right away.