1.What is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)
Herpes zoster is an infection of the human body with the herpes zoster virus that invades the ganglia of the posterior spinal cord, showing a red herpes rash and pain along the damaged innervated skin, which is called “snake” in folklore. Acute herpes zoster is known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) when the pain in the rash area persists for more than a month after the skin blisters disappear.
PHN is a persistent boiling water or charcoal burning pain in the original rash area of the body, the skin feels mildly numb but cannot be touched, even the wind will trigger a catastrophic pain, and every day at some point a sudden burst of lightning-like or tearing-like or tightening-like pain will occur. Hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes or depression. This pain can haunt people for 3-5 years or even more than 10 years, and it is stubborn and difficult to cure.
According to statistics, the chances of having acute shingles with PHN are 49% for those aged 50, 65% for those aged 70, and 74% for those aged 80, and the older the age, the higher the possibility of PHN, i.e., half of the patients with acute shingles pain may have post-herpetic pain if they are 50 years old, and 65% of those aged 70. There is still no good way to completely eliminate post-herpetic pain worldwide.
2. The causes of PHN (postherpetic neuralgia)
The cause of PHN is not fully understood, but it is known to be related to the low immunity of the body and the destruction of spinal nerve cells by the herpes zoster virus.
3.How to avoid getting PHN
Since PHN is so painful and difficult to treat, can it be prevented from happening? After investigating all medical treatments, modern medicine recognizes that apart from early application of standardized antiviral therapy and rash treatment, the only effective method is to apply anti-inflammatory and nutritional drugs directly to the spinal nerves as early as possible to reduce the edema and necrosis of spinal nerve cells caused by the herpes zoster virus during the acute phase. Therefore, early diagnosis and standardized treatment of postherpetic neuralgia is very important, and PHN becomes an intractable pain once it is more than 6 months old.
4.How to treat with PHN
(1) Drugs to reduce pain.
①Anticonvulsants.
(2) antidepressants.
(3) Narcotic analgesics.
④Neurotrophic drugs.
(2) Nerve block: early application can prevent and alleviate PHN, intractable pain line nerve destruction. Modern medicine has proved that the only effective way to block the occurrence of this pain is to apply medication at the nerve root in the spinal canal early after acute herpes zoster.
(3) Psychotherapy; maintain optimism and stable emotions, live a regular life and get reasonable and adequate nutrition.
5, the treatment of shingles so many specialties, pain specialist what good way
Herpes zoster has a certain self-limiting nature, and the treatment specialties include neurology, dermatology, acupuncture and moxibustion and so on. In addition to actively using Chinese and Western medicine to “catch the snake”, relieve pain, nerve nutrition and antiviral treatment, our pain specialists also apply a variety of methods to prevent acute herpes zoster pain from turning into chronic post-herpes zoster pain. For example, the most effective epidural injection therapy at home and abroad: through the direct action of drugs on the dorsal root nerve, improve the blood supply of cells, eliminate cell inflammation, and protect and restore the function of nerve cells in the posterior horn of the spinal cord as early as possible.
To deal with persistent postherpetic neuralgia, you can also apply herpes peripheral blockade of nerve conduction, or complete destruction of nerve conduction, apply the world’s latest pulsed radiofrequency to adjust nerve conduction, excite nerve reflex arc, spinal cord electrical stimulation to cover neuralgia or spinal canal built-in tube continuous injection of micro analgesics, and many other therapies.
Therefore, if you have relatives or friends who have not been able to solve the pain after 2 weeks to 1 month of pain relief, nerve nutrition and anti-viral treatment, please tell the medical personnel around you in time to get support and help!