What is herpes zoster?
-It is also called shingles.
-It is a viral infection that occur with reactivation of the varicella zoster virus.
-Varicella zoster virus first causes chickenpox. After chickenpox runs its course, the virus moves into the nerves tissues near your spinal cord and brain, where it stays and sometimes the virus wakes up and travels along nerve fibres to your skin which produces shingles.
-It is occur when body’s immunity is low.
-It represents reactivation rather than reinfection.
-Factors that precipitated an attack include unusual stress or an immune compromised state like HIV, steroids, irritation of nerve root due to injury.
-Male and females are affected equally.
-It is not uncommon in middle aged or even young adults.
-In a young adult male, it is considered a marker for HIV infection and it is necessary to consider screening such patients for HIV infection.
What are the sign and symptoms?
-Rash with shooting pain.
-Rashes turn into red, fluid filled blisters.
-It usually shows up on one side of the body. Rashes are present in linear form following the nerve supply of the affected part.
-Pain may be severe or mild or even absent especially when occurs in younger individuals.
-Burning in blisters which may be mild or severe.
-Hyperesthesia is a condition that involves an abnormal increase in sensitivity to stimuli.
-Fever and muscle ache are noted in some cases.
-vesicles means that clear fluid small blisters after few days turn dry leading to crust formation, followed by crust fall within 10-15 days sometimes leaving scars when the lesions develop secondary bacterial infection.
What are the complications?
-Facial paralysis if it affects the certain nerves.
-Eye problem and vision loss if rashes are around the eye.
-Postherpetic neuralgia it is most common complication of shingles that causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters disappear.
What are the treatment options?
-Antiviral therapy
-medicated lotion
-Analgesic medicine means painkiller.
Homoeopathic Management
Early diagnosis and quick treatment become key to success in Herpes zoster infection. Being a viral infection, strengthening of immune system solves the rest. Immediate relief in pain and burning is the outcome. Complete cure is seen in all cases with no complications. Acute management is done with acute group of medicines. As soon as we get indications deep acting constitutional medicines are introduced to give strength to the recovery and prevent complications like post herpetic neuralgia.
We do get some cases where patient comes with complications after primary treatment done somewhere else, most of the time with dermatologist. Results are amazing for such cases too.