DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you address the problem of shingles? I am 82 and have it. My doctor has me taking acyclovir. How long does it take for the eruptions to heal? How contagious is this? — D.T.

ANSWER: Readers have every right to think I am obsessed with shingles. I write about it frequently. The reason is that a nonstop supply of letters keeps coming, asking for information on it.

The virus of shingles is the same virus that causes childhood chickenpox. That virus lives in nerve cells until the day we die. Many shingles patients deny they ever had chickenpox. They did. They might have had such a mild case that it was not recognized as chickenpox. More than 90 percent of adults have evidence that the chickenpox virus is still in their bodies.

When the virus wakens, it travels out of nerve cells down to the skin, where it causes the typical shingles rash — red blotches covered with tiny blisters. The affected skin hurts. The rash disappears in 10 to 15 days. Acyclovir is one of the three anti-viral drugs that shorten the infection’s duration.

Worse than the rash stage of shingles is a prolonged period of pain that remains for some people well after the rash goes. That condition is called postherpetic neuralgia. Herpes zoster is the renamed chickenpox virus. “Neuralgia” indicates that the nerve has been damaged when the virus passed down it to the skin. For a few, the torture of postherpetic neuralgia can last for years.

A person with shingles can pass the virus only during the stage of skin blisters. Virus is in the blister fluid. Since most adults have already been infected, they do not catch the virus. Young infants might. They come down with chickenpox, not shingles. This is a very uncommon occurrence. You are not a threat to most people. And, you are a threat to those who have never had chickenpox only for a very short time.

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The shingles booklet explains this illness in greater detail. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 1201, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a man in his mid-70s. For most of my life, I have had a low heart rate (slow heartbeat). Sometimes it goes down to 39. I am not dizzy or lightheaded, and I don’t have shortness of breath. Will this affect me later on? — Anon.

ANSWER: Heartbeat, heart rate and pulse are all the same thing — the number of times the heart contracts in one minute. The normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats a minute when seated comfortably. A heart rate of 39 is definitely low. You have no symptoms coming from this slow beat — dizziness, lightheadedness or shortness of breath — and you have had this most of your life. Well-trained athletes have slow heart rates. Their athletic hearts pump more blood with each beat, so they need fewer beats. Perhaps you have a well-conditioned heart.

Should you experience any symptoms, report to the doctor immediately. And on your next visit, ask the doctor if an EKG could be done. It will help determine if your slow rate is or is not healthy. I don’t believe your slow rate will ever affect you.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a habit I can’t conquer — nose picking. I saw an ear, nose and throat doctor, who cauterized my nose, but that didn’t work. I realize this disgusts others. I think the problem is that my mucus solidifies quickly and adheres to the nasal lining. How should I deal with this? — J.A.

ANSWER: Irrigate the nose with a bulb syringe containing saltwater. The saltwater is made by dissolving a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. You can buy bulb syringes or irrigating syringes in drugstores. Flush the nose three times a day. Then apply a very light coat of Vaseline to the lowermost part of the nasal lining. If your house is dry, get a humidifier, and keep the humidity between 40 percent and 60 percent. Also make a conscious effort to stifle the picking.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.


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