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HERPES ZOOSTER (SHINGLES) & HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Shingles (Herpes zoster)

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
After get chickenpox, the virus remains inactive (becomes dormant) in certain nerves in the body. Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again in these nerves years later.
The reason the virus suddenly becomes active again is not clear. Often only one attack occurs.
Shingles may develop in any age group, but you are more likely to develop the condition if:
  • older than 60
  • had chickenpox before age 1
  • immune system is weakened by medications or disease
If an adult or child has direct contact with the shingles rash and did not have chickenpox as a child or a chickenpox vaccine, they can develop chickenpox, not shingles.
Symptoms
The first symptom is usually one-sided pain, tingling, or burning. The pain and burning may be severe and is usually present before any rash appears.
Red patches on the skin, followed by small blisters, form in most people.
  • The blisters break, forming small sores that begin to dry and form crusts. The crusts fall off in 2 to 3 weeks. Scarring is rare.
  • The rash usually involves a narrow area from the spine around to the front of the belly area or chest.
  • The rash may involve the face, eyes, mouth, and ears.
Other symptoms may include:
  • Abdominal pain
  • Fever and chills
  • General ill feeling
  • Genital sores
  • Headache
  • Joint pain
  • Swollen glands (lymph nodes)
  •  pain, muscle weakness, and a rash involving different parts of face if shingles affects a nerve in face.
The symptoms may include:
  • Difficulty moving some of the muscles in the face
  • Drooping eyelid (ptosis)
  • Hearing loss
  • Loss of eye motion
  • Taste problems
  • Vision problems

Signs and tests

Tests are rarely needed, but may include taking a skin sample to see if the skin is infected with the virus that causes shingles.
Blood tests may show an increase in white blood cells and antibodies to the chickenpox virus, but they cannot confirm that the rash is due to shingles.

MANAGEMENT

·       Cool wet compresses can be used to reduce pain.
·       Soothing baths and lotions, such as colloidal oatmeal bath, starch baths, or calamine lotion, may help to relieve itching and discomfort.
·       Resting in bed until the fever goes down is recommended.
·       Keep the skin clean.
·       Do not reuse contaminated items.
·       Wash nondisposable items in boiling water or disinfect them before using them again
·       stay away from people while the sores are oozing to avoid infecting those who have never had chickenpox -- especially pregnant women.

Expectations (prognosis)

Herpes zoster usually clears up in 2 to 3 weeks and rarely returns. If the virus affects the nerves that control movement (the motor nerves), you may have temporary or permanent weakness or paralysis.
Sometimes, the pain in the area where the shingles occurred may last from months to years. This pain is called postherpetic neuralgia.
Postherpetic neuralgia is more likely to occur in people over age 60. It occurs when the nerves have been damaged after an outbreak of shingles. Pain ranges from mild to very severe.

Complications

Complications may include:
·         Another attack of shingles
·         Bacterial skin infections
·         Blindness (if shingles occurs in the eye)
·         Deafness
·         Infection, including encephalitis or sepsis (blood infection) in persons with a weakened immune system
·         Ramsay Hunt syndrome if shingles affects the nerves in the face

Prevention

Avoid touching the rash and blisters on persons with shingles or chickenpox
 if you have never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine.
A herpes zoster vaccine is available. It is different than the chickenpox vaccine. Older adults who receive the herpes zoster vaccine are less likely to have complications from shingles.


HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT :-
The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach.
several remedies are available to treat herpes that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints

There are following comman remedies which are helpful in the treatment of herpes:

Aconite for prodromal phase.
Cnth, Ran-b, Rhus tox, Arnica  used for vesculation and pain.
Apis  specifically for lesions on face with oedama.
Hep, Sil, Merc, used for secondry infection.
Causti,Kalm,Mez, Spig, Zinc used for treatment of post herpetic neuralgia.
OTHER MEDICINE- ARS, CANTH, GRAPH, HEP, HYPER, KALI ARS, SULPH, ARS. IOD, STAPH, KALI BI,

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