How to Diagnose PHN
- 1). Contact a physician. Try to remember the approximate date of your shingles outbreak and the date the shingles rash resolved. Record the first day you experienced pain after the shingles rash resolved. This will give the physician an idea of the extent of your nerve damage. Make sure you tell him the area of the body affected by the pain. If the pain is primarily localized to the area of the previous outbreak, your physician may consider your lingering pain to a result of post herpetic neuralgia.
- 2). Explain your symptoms in detail. Instead of just saying that you feel pain, describe your pain with adjectives like shooting, burning or aching. Endo Pharmaceuticals explains that this pain can can come and go. Remember to tell your physician if your nerve pain is sensitive to touch, a draft of breeze or a change in temperature. Other skin symptoms include any perspiration in the area of pain, loss of muscle tone and change in color or temperature of the affected area.
- 3). Make a list of all the medications and interventions you have tried to cure the pain. Recall how the pain interferes with your daily activities. This allows your physician to assess the severity of your condition. Write down any other medications you take whether prescribed or purchased over the counter. Record the amount and frequency of medication consumed. Include any diet supplements you take such as vitamins or herbs. In addition to prescribing a treatment for your neuralgia, your physician may require a change or decrease in some drug or supplement that could interfere with the healing process.
