impetigo. Provided by Uijeongbu Eulji Hospital
Concerns are growing over ‘monkeypox’, which has not yet spread in Korea, but is spreading mainly in Europe.
In particular, the bullous rash has become a situation that comes to mind from monkey pox. Because bullous rash appears in a form similar to chickenpox, it is difficult to distinguish it from other bullous diseases such as chickenpox, herpes zoster, and impetigo just by looking at the appearance.
◇ Adult chickenpox, high complication rate, even death in severe cases
Chickenpox is an acute infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Direct contact with skin lesions or respiratory secretions such as droplets are transmitted through the air.
After the incubation period (10 to 21 days), a rash accompanied by itching spreads all over the body, including the face, arms, and legs. After a day or two, the red rash turns into inflammatory blisters (vesicles). From this point on, the skin lesions are contagious and must be isolated.
All lesions will heal naturally as they turn into scabs. In adults, fever and systemic symptoms are more severe than in children, and the frequency of complications is higher. Also, if you are infected in the early stages of pregnancy, you should be careful as it can cause congenital malformations. It is a disease that is prevented by vaccination.
Park Gyeong-chan, a professor of dermatology at Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital, said, “Because chickenpox has a strong transmission power in the air, you should avoid contact with other people. do,” he said.
◇ Shingles can cause blindness if left unattended
People who have had chickenpox should not be vigilant. This is because when the immune system is weakened, the varicella zoster virus that has been dormant in the body is reactivated, causing ‘herpes zoster’, which causes not only a skin rash but also severe pain.
Herpes zoster is characterized by localized pain in a specific area. Initially, symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and body aches appear, and then a band-shaped red rash or blisters with itching and pain appear on one side of the body, such as the chest and back.
If treated early and appropriate, pain can be relieved with simple treatment such as antiviral drugs. However, if the virus penetrates the facial nerve, auditory nerve, or meninges, facial paralysis, tinnitus, and meningitis can occur, and when it occurs around the eyes, it can lead to blindness.
In addition, even following treatment, extreme pain (postherpetic neuralgia) such as a feeling of being stabbed by a needle, burning, or chronic pain may persist.
Professor Kim Hyung-gyun of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital said, “If you get shingles, nerve cells are damaged by the virus, so even following the skin rash disappears, various pains may appear along the innervation. Because this condition persists, it is necessary to control the pain with various treatments such as drug therapy and nerve block therapy (neurotherapy) at the early stage of the onset.”
◇Impetigo, if you apply antibiotic ointment arbitrarily, symptoms worsen.
‘impetigo’, which is easy to catch in the hot summer, is distributed all over the body and resembles monkey pox. Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial infectious skin disease that is easily transmitted to children and infants. It is caused by a bacterial infection, which may be accompanied by asthenia, fever, and diarrhea.
Impetigo mainly affects children under 6 years of age. Large and small blisters accompanied by fever and diarrhea spread all over the body. If it is accompanied by sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis, there is a risk of death, so it should be treated promptly.
Impetigo is mainly spread by contact with oozing, and it is characterized by the appearance of small blisters or red spots around the nose and mouth, arms and legs, and then turning into thick crusts as the blisters burst. Swelling of the lymph glands, fever, and sore throat may also appear.
Professor Park Kyung-chan said, “Even though the cause and infection route of impetigo are completely different from smallpox and chickenpox, the skin lesions such as blisters are similar. It is better to seek professional treatment,” he said.
Kwon Dae-ik medical journalist dkwon@hankookilbo.com