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Glossary
acyclovir - one of a group of antiviral drugs that may reduced the
severity and duration of a shingles attack if given soon after the
onset of symptoms.
capsaicin - an active ingredient in hot chili peppers that is used in
topical ointments to relieve nerve pain. It appears to work by reducing
a chemical substance found at nerve endings and involved in
transmitting
pain signals to the brain.
carbamazapine - a drug that works both as an anticonvulsant and a pain
reliever.
chickenpox - an acute contagious disease usually occurring in children
and caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
famcyclovir - an antiviral drug. See acyclovir.
herpes zoster - the medical term for shingles; an infection caused by
the varicella-zoster virus (one of the herpesviruses).
herpes simplex - the medical term for a common and usually mild viral
disease that causes eruptions of the skin or mucous membrane.
herpesviruses - a large family of viruses that cause a number of
related conditions including, but not limited to, oral and genital
herpes simplex, varicella (chickenpox), and varicella-zoster (shingles).
immunosuppressed - having a weakened immune system.
latent - hidden, dormant, inactive. The virus that causes chickenpox
remains hidden in the body after the initial attack of chickenpox is
over. When it becomes reactivated, usually many years later, the virus
causes shingles.
lidocaine patch - a new method for treating postherpetic neuralgia in
which an adhesive patch containing lidocaine is placed on the skin
allowing
the drug to be released into the top layers of the skin, reducing pain
from the damaged nerves.
neuron—the primary functional cell of the brain and nervous system.
postherpetic neuralgia - a condition characterized by unrelenting pain,
caused by damage to the nervous system.
valacyclovir - an antiviral drug. See acyclovir.
varicella-zoster - a virus that causes two distinct diseases,
chickenpox and shingles. It is a member of the herpesvirus family.
Varicella is Latin for "little pox;" zoster is the Greek word for
girdle. Medically, zoster is sometimes used as a synonym for shingles.
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