Shingles
Shingles is a painful blistering rash that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you have had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive near your spinal chord. Years later the virus can reactivate, multiply, and attack a nerve root traveling to the skin. You may feel numbness, burning or tingling. A few days later, bumps and blisters appear on the skin. It is usually on one side of the body. These symptoms can last for two to four weeks.Some people experience a complication called postherpetic neuralgia in which they continue to have pain in the area after the blisters have cleared. The pain gradually improves and it can be treated.
More than two-thirds of shingles cases occur in people older than 50. A vaccine is recommended for older adults. It can protect you from getting shingles or, if you do get it, reduce the severity of your symptoms and the risk of postherpetic neuralgia. There are also antiviral drugs that shorten an outbreak and lessen the chance of complications. They work best if taken within a day or two of when you first feel symptoms.
Vascular Problems
Problems with veins in the lower legs become more common as we age. The valves can lose their efficiency in returning blood to the heart. The resulting increase of pressure in the legs can cause varicose veins, edema and a condition called stasis dermatitis. With stasis dermatitis, the skin gets itchy, and scaly. It can even weep and crust. If not treated, over time the skin harden or thicken. Cracks or cuts in the skin may not heal because of poor blood flow, and in the worst case. ulcers may form. Prompt treatment is important to prevent these complications.
The main treatment for vascular problems is to reduce the pressure and swelling in the legs. Elevate your feet when you are sitting, and try to get them above your heart while lying down a few times a day. Wearing compression stockings or pressure wrap bandages also helps. Avoid using nonprescription creams except those recommended by your doctor because this skin is more sensitive to irritants and allergic reactions. Your doctor may prescribe an oral or topical corticosteroid.
Rosacea
Rosacea is not directly connected to aging but it becomes more common after middle age. It is a long-term skin condition that causes redness and acne-like bumps on the face and can also make eyelids look irritated and feel gritty. About one in ten people older than 65 have some degree of rosacea. The condition may flare up in response to many triggers that increase blood flow to the face, including spicy foods, sunlight, some medications, exercise, drinking alcohol, and emotional stress. It is treated with certain antibiotic lotions or creams and, in more severe cases or flares, oral antibiotics. The facial redness and surface capillaries can be reduced with laser/light treatments and a topical cream. A new cream with ivermectin, an antiparisitic drug, has also been effective in some people. There is no cure for rosacea but it can be controlled to improve a person’s comfort and appearance.
At Advanced Dermatology Care, our dermatologists Dr. Kenneth Egan, Dr. Rebecca Hall and PA, Melissa Raue specialize in all of your family’s skin care needs in general medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology including impetigo, acne, skin cancer, eczema, warts, moles, fungal nail infections, rashes and scars. Our offices are located in the Fairfield County, CT towns of Danbury, Norwalk and Ridgefield.
– Melissa Raue