What causes PHN?

Causes. PHN is a persistent nerve pain that can occur as a result of shingles. Shingles is caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, the virus known to cause chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in the nervous system.Click to see full answer. In respect to this, does PHN ever go away?Prognosis. Once the rash develops it can last for up to three weeks, but most commonly only lasts for 2-3 days. Once the rash has healed, if the pain remains after 2 months the person may be diagnosed with PHN. Luckily for many people,PHN will go away within a year. what are the symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia? Symptoms are usually limited to the area of skin where the shingles outbreak first occurred and may include: occasional sharp burning, shooting, jabbing pain. constant burning, throbbing, or aching pain. extreme sensitivity to touch. extreme sensitivity to temperature change. itching. numbness. headaches. Also asked, how do you treat PHN? There are a number of effective postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) treatments your doctor can prescribe. The most successful treatments are anti-seizure medications, antiviral agents, antidepressants, and opioid pain relievers. Patches containing lidocaine, or other pain relievers, are also very effective.What is postherpetic neuralgia?Postherpetic neuralgia is a painful condition that affects your nerves and skin. It is a complication of herpes zoster, commonly called shingles. When the pain caused by shingles doesn’t go away after the rash and blisters clear up, the condition is called postherpetic neuralgia.