Hi I woke up yesterday morning with my eye somewhat swollen. Went through the day with it. Went to sleep, woke up this morning, and it was COMPLETELY swollen shut. So, instead of going to school, I went to the doctor [im 17 (seventeen) years old], and the Doctor told me it is the Shingles. Well, there, I was prescribed ACYCLOVIR, and CEPHALEXIN. Since, I have gone to the doctor this morning, I have been doing research on Shingles.. and I don't know what to do, because on the internet, it says everywhere, that I could go blind, paralyse, deaf, scarred, or death. How can I prevent those things from happening? I cannot see out of my eye right now, because it won't open the least bit right now.. and I got scared earlier, thinking about it, and started crying, and there are TEARS stuck in my eye, because I cannot open my eye and get them out. SO, QUESTION, how do I get the swellon to go down, the most quick?? How do I get my eye to open and get the tears out? How do I get rid of the redness? And the blisters? Why and how did I get the Shingles at 17 years old? Will I... die?

Please if you have the least bit of information, input it! Because I'm driving myself crazy worrying about it!

All you can do is follow doctor's orders, use the meds he prescribed and all will be well. Just don't pick at anything and keep sterile, that is wash hands often and DO NOT TOUCH any liquid matter that is around your eye. You don't want shingles anywhere else on your body.

If you or your mom have latex gloves around the house, good time to use them. You can bathe your eye with warm water very gently, and don't rub, that will probably release the eye and you can open it. But I can't stress enough BE PERFECTLY CLEAN IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.

Tick

Thank You! :) I have been using GermX and cleaning my hands nonstop today, and I have been taking my medicine, and also, been keeping a warm washcloth on it, as bad as it hurts, I have been. I can't believe I have shingles.. that is so scary.. but, my immune system is always low for whatever reason, so I've decided that once this is all done I am going to start taking One A Day Teen vitamins... so maybe I won't have to worry about it or anything else again! I have Vitamin E oil, to put on it once the swelling goes down, to prevent scars. My neighbor said it works wonders.. I just hope it gets better, and I don't have any medical problems caused from it,. but, again ,thank you so much for your input! I really do appreciate it! :)

I would back off with the warm washcloth and use cold instead. Cold reduces swelling. Warm also promotes germs. Please don't use the Vitamin E oil until shingles have disappeared entirely.Good luck !

Tick

Thank you! Well, I went to the eye doctor yesterday morning and she said it wasn't shingles. And that if the swelling became wose, to go to the hospital. Then, I left, and it suddening increased in swelling and pain.. so I went to the ACH [arkansas children's hospital].. and was in the ER for 7 hours. They had put my in an examing room, and ran around 15 tests on me... did a CT scan and it came back and I have Celulitus. So, they emitted me into the hospital and I'm in here for at least 3 days. I was told it is a VERY serious matter. But, thank you so much for helping!

:) hospital has computers, Xbox, TVand phone! 0.0

*thumb up* re computers, etc. You were a smart girl (you are a girl?) following up on that. God knows what that would have turned into if you hadn't !

Tick

I'm glad they figured out what was going on! I hope you feel better soon.:)

ACH is a great hospital. My friend's son had to spend several weeks there after an ATV accident.

I hope you get better soon!

Meeeee too! I'm so glad its going to be treatable!. but, I also just found out that I have extra fluid on my brain... so I don't know what caused that to happen. Ut everything should go well. Thank you all so much for being here!

Evaluation and Management of Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus - November 1, 2002 - American Family Physician (http://www.aafp.org/afp/20021101/1723.html)


If you are having visual changes this is an emergency and you should see an ophthalmologist asap




G&P

Aren't they great? I love how they get the job done! Unlike a lot of hospitals.

I went to an eye doctor, and also had a CT scan and both had no signs that there was any behind my eye. So, no worries there. :)