Sudden unexplained pain in the human body, paroxysmal attacks, mostly manifested as discharge-like, needle-like, cutting-like, burning-like, throbbing pain, etc., unable to sleep at night, and no obvious abnormalities in the routine examination, to highly suspect the “waist wrapping dragon”, it is recommended to directly consult the pain department to avoid misdiagnosis and delay the disease, resulting in sequelae and regret for life. Yang
1.What is “herpes zoster”?
Herpes zoster, known in traditional Chinese medicine as “entanglement dragon” or “snake sores”, is caused by infection with the varicella-zoster virus. When the body’s immunity is low, the neurophilic virus that has been latent in the body for a long time can grow and multiply again, and migrate to the skin along the nerve fibers, manifesting as clusters of herpes distribution with pain. The rash is usually unilateral and distributed by nerve segments. The disease occurs in adults and is more common in the spring and fall. The incidence of the disease increases significantly with age.
2. What types of people are susceptible to shingles?
Herpes zoster occurs in people who are immunocompromised. It is common for the following groups of people: elderly people; people who work under stress, mental stress, depression, and stay up late for a long time; people who are drunk and have a cold; people with malignant tumors, autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus, and people who use a lot of hormones and other immunosuppressants for a long time.
3.Does shingles heal on its own?
It varies from person to person. Very few people can heal completely on their own with their own immunity, as the rash fades and the pain disappears; however, most people cannot heal on their own, as the rash fades and the pain increases, so they need medical intervention as soon as possible.
4. Is shingles contagious?
Herpes zoster is somewhat contagious, mainly because the herpes fluid contains a large number of viruses. All shingles patients should preferably not mix their clothes with their family members, and other daily life is not affected.
5. Can patients with shingles develop antibodies throughout their lives?
Herpes zoster patients can develop antibodies, but they don’t last long. Most people only get sick once in their lifetime, but a few people can get sick repeatedly, which is closely related to the individual’s own immunity.
6. Can herpes zoster be fatal if it “wraps around”?
There are rumors about this, but they are due to the lack of medical knowledge in the past. Shingles itself is not fatal, but may be the result of a cardiovascular accident caused by severe pain.
7. Is there any sequelae to shingles?
One of the most common questions many patients ask Dr. Ling when they see herpes zoster is “Why is the pain still there or even worse after the herpes has healed?” It is very simple, because the virus has destroyed the nerves and created post-herpetic neuralgia. If the disease progresses to the sequelae stage, the international clinical treatment is very tricky.
8. Home care for patients with shingles?
Some patients with herpes zoster have pain with general malaise, low fever and loss of appetite, so they should be treated symptomatically; try to avoid scratching the patient with hands to prevent secondary infection; lie on the healthy side to prevent blisters from breaking, keep bed sheets and bedding clean, and change underwear softly and often to prevent friction from aggravating pain.
9. What are the dietary principles for patients with shingles?
Herpes zoster patients should eat less fatty and oily foods such as fatty meat, syrupy sugar, milk and sweet foods; spicy and stimulating foods such as wine, tobacco, ginger, chili, mutton, beef and fried foods are prohibited.
10.Which department should shingles patients visit?
Most patients can be cured after systematic antiviral, nerve nutrition and analgesic treatment, while nerve block treatment in pain department can greatly reduce the incidence of posterior neuralgia. Patients with post-herpetic neuralgia can achieve pain relief and reduce the dosage of analgesics through the nerve modulation technique, which is a special treatment of the pain department.