Herpes zoster is an acute inflammatory skin disease caused by the varicella zoster virus, known in Chinese medicine as “tangled waist fire dragon”, “tangled waist fire dan”, and commonly known as “spider sores”. The main feature is the cluster of blisters, along one side of the peripheral nerve for a cluster of band distribution, accompanied by obvious neuralgia, is a relatively common serious disease of dermatology, the following patients concerned about a few questions answered. 1. What is the main cause of herpes zoster? The main cause of shingles is a viral infection, caused by the varicella zoster virus. However, it is important to note that the vast majority of cases of the virus are not recent infections. The vast majority of patients are first infected with the virus in childhood as chickenpox or latent infection, and the virus can remain latent in the posterior spinal root neurons for a long time after the chickenpox has healed. Later, during exertion, immune deficiency, or long-term use of hormones or immunosuppressants, the latent virus becomes active again, grows and multiplies, and reaches the skin along the nerves, causing inflammation of the nerves, producing local pain and localized skin erythema blistering. Simply put, the cause of the disease is a juvenile viral infection coupled with a recent immune deficiency. 2. Is herpes zoster contagious? Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella zoster virus, so theoretically, the virus is present in the blistering fluid of a person with herpes zoster, and children who are not immune to this virus may be infected with chickenpox if they come in contact with the blistering fluid, but this is a rare occurrence. Most adults are immune to the virus, so in most cases they will not develop the disease even if they are exposed to it. Therefore, shingles does not cause an epidemic in the population. There is no need for special isolation for people with shingles, but close contact with children who are not immune to the virus should be avoided. 3. What are the risks of herpes zoster to humans? During the onset of the disease, most patients suffer mainly from pain with varying degrees of pain, most patients have severe pain that affects normal work and life, and very few patients show itching. If the virus invades the face, it can affect the cornea and the eye, and in severe cases, total ophthalmia can occur, leading to blindness, and in rare cases, it can even cause facial paralysis, encephalitis, and meningitis. The disease may have sequelae (posterior neuralgia) if treatment is not timely or complete. 4. Will there be sequelae of herpes zoster? In general, patients are rarely left with sequelae if they receive regular treatment in a hospital, but there is a risk of sequelae (posterior neuralgia) if the disease is not treated promptly or thoroughly. Generally speaking, the older and weaker the patient is, the more severe the symptoms and the greater the likelihood of sequelae. The treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia is not effective at the current medical level. 5.Will herpes zoster recur after treatment and recovery? The vast majority of patients are immune for life after recovery and will not relapse in the future, but there are very few patients who relapse again when their immunity is low. 6.How can I know if I or a family member has shingles in time? If you find a linear distribution of blisters on your own or your family’s skin and local pain, you should highly suspect herpes zoster and go to the hospital in time. 7. How does shingles need to be treated and how long does it take to treat? The general treatment of herpes zoster is antiviral, anti-inflammatory and pain relief, shortening the course of the disease and preventing secondary infections, and local treatment is anti-inflammatory, drying, astringent and preventing secondary infections. Treatment usually takes 10 to 15 days. 8, how to prevent getting shingles? Generally speaking, first of all, life should be regular, working hours should not be too long, the load is too heavy, too strong will make the body too fatigued. The relationship between work and rest, pay attention to the combination of work and rest. The second thing is to strengthen the exercise, to enhance physical fitness, especially the elderly should be targeted according to their physical condition to choose their own beneficial outdoor activities for mental and physical health. The vaccine for herpes zoster was developed abroad in 2005 and is currently in clinical trials. If it proves effective, the vaccine can be administered to the right people in the future to prevent the disease. 9. How should post-herpetic neuralgia be treated after incomplete treatment of shingles? It is difficult to restore the pain and sensory abnormalities to normal in patients with post-herpetic neuralgia. To date, there is still no specific treatment method. Treatment of refractory postherpetic neuralgia focuses on relieving pain, improving sleep, and improving quality of life For milder postherpetic neuralgia, efforts are made to promote complete recovery. Treatment includes oral medications, nerve blocks, and nerve destruction therapy. Therefore, it is advisable to treat patients with shingles early and thoroughly to prevent the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia.