My husband has shingles on his scalp which has gotten better but still causes nerve pain. History of radiation to epiglottis and esophagus due to cancer 5 years ago. Always has had some problem after radiation with swallowing but has improved. Recently developed extreme difficulty swallowing, even soft foods. He saw his oncologist today who said he had a throat cancer. My questions are: 1. Is the wallowing difficulty a side effect from shingles on his scalp? 2. How does the doctor diagnosis a virus versus a bacterial infection? 3. Best treatment for throat virus. Thank you.
Answer to question one: Shingles on scalp are unlikely to cause throat pain. Nerve supply to scalp is different from that of throat. Pain is perceived by nerve endings. Since nerve supply is different, throat pain is not caused by scalp disease.2. Shingles can be made out by clinical examination. Every doctor is trained to differentiate different diseases. So viral infections like Shingles can be made out clinical examination.3. Treatment for throat infection depends on type of infection. Can be made out by clinical examination