A 64-year-old woman spent days seeking medical help for severe headaches and eye pain, only to later discover she was suffering from shingles.
Besides eye pain and headaches, she vomited constantly and even had to take sleeping pills to sleep. She consulted several doctors but was unable to find the cause of her illness.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
While facial shingles are difficult to diagnose, experts say that the risk of stroke is about three times higher than when they occur on other parts of the body.
The woman, known as Ms Wang (name transliterated from Chinese), started feeling pain in her right eye on 25 Oct, which soon spread to her head, Shin Min Daily News (SMDN) reported.
Fearing blindness, she visited multiple doctors and even underwent an MRI and blood tests, but no clear cause was found.
Doctors initially prescribed antiviral drips and painkillers, yet her symptoms worsened — she began vomiting uncontrollably and had to be hospitalised for observation.
It wasn’t until blisters appeared on her forehead and eyelid that doctors confirmed she had shingles on 29 Oct.
“At first, I kept vomiting and couldn’t eat anything. When I could eat again, I had no appetite at all,” said Ms Wang.
Due to the persistent and unbearable pain, she had to rely on sleeping pills to help her sleep.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
According to SMDN, she was eventually discharged after her fever subsided and is now recovering at home.
Speaking to SMDN, infectious disease specialist Dr Leong Hoe Nam said that developing shingles on the face carries three times the risk of stroke compared to having it on other parts of the body.
A neurologist noted that shingles near the eyes can easily be misdiagnosed due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions.
In Ms Wang’s case, due to her headaches, a diagnosis could not be made immediately.
“If the pain appears on the body or limbs, diagnosis is easier. But for the eyes, doctors must consider multiple possibilities,” he explained.
Dr Leong emphasised that one in three people is at risk of developing shingles during their lifetime, and the risk rises to one in two for those aged 80 and above.
Since September, eligible Singaporeans — including seniors aged 60 and above and adults with weakened immunity — can receive up to 75% subsidies for shingles vaccinations, paying as little as S$75 after subsidies.
Ms Wang said her 80-year-old mother has yet to be vaccinated, but she plans to bring her family for the jab once she recovers.
She said that she does not want anyone else to go through the same pain she experienced.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.