For the first time a person faces the Varicella zoster virus, becoming ill with a common chicken pox. The causative agent after this for decades still lives in the body, staying in a dormant (latent) state, and can again remind itself of external factors, causing shingles or herpes zoster.
Clinical picture
Herpes zoster, whose treatment depends on the patient's age and immunity, is provoked by stress, oncology (leukemia, lymphogranulomatosis), chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Often, herpes zoster is a sign of HIV infection, turning into AIDS.
The virus affects the nerve nodes, the skin above them begins to sting, burn, hurt and itch; the temperature rises. After a couple of days there are rashes in the form of vesicles along the affected nerve - most often they are concentrated in the ribs (from one, usually the side), on the neck, face, and sometimes - on the auricle and mucous eyes, which happens in the defeat of the trigeminal nerve.
The diagnosis is made only by the doctor, and he will have to differentiate the shingles from herpes simplex, which affects the lips and genitals.
Treatment regimen of herpes zoster
Usually the rash lasts 5 to 7 days even without specific therapy, but treatment of herpes zoster with acyclovir and other antiviral agents (Valaciclovir, Famciclovir) is appropriate for elderly patients and people with weak immunity.
In general, the therapy for herpes zoster is aimed at:
- suppression of virus activity;
- reduction of pain syndrome;
- prevention of complications;
- reduction of residual neuralgia.
In the treatment of herpes zoster painkillers use the following:
- Diclofenac ;
- Ibuprofen;
- Baralgin;
- Pentalgin.
It is appropriate to impose on the wound a sterile adhesive with lidocaine.
For the removal of itching and inflammation, sometimes corticosteroids are prescribed, although doctors agree that such treatment of herpes zoster is impractical, because these drugs depress immunity.
Treatment of herpes zoster with folk remedies
It is useful to supplement the reception of medicines with non-traditional therapy, which consists in the use of decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants inside and outward.
Grass wormwood and tansy is useful to pour boiling water, insist and take 3 glasses a day until the herpes zoster will not pass. For compresses and lubricating the wound, use a decoction of mint, immortelle, celandine , burdock.
To relieve pain and burning sensation, ice is applied to the skin.
Treatment of herpes zoster on the body and face is supplemented with the use of home ointments - for example, mashed garlic, infused in oil, applied to wounds. It dries them and relieves pain. It is useful to apply a fresh onion, fried over an open fire, to the rashes.
For a few hours you can apply a tar rash, you do not need to apply a bandage on top.
Controversial moments
Traditional medicine has its own skeptical view of folk methods of treating herpes zoster. So, for example, doctors are sure that external processing of wounds is absolutely useless, and it is especially undesirable to use for this purpose zelenok, iodine and hydrogen peroxide. It is also not recommended to use bath oils and sea salt.
Nevertheless, many people such procedures helped to get rid of the rash quickly. As you can see, the opinions of traditional doctors and traditional healers differ.
Increased immunity
Better all sorts of medications with shingles cope with the human immune system, which, as a rule, is weakened at the moment of "awakening" of the virus. So, during treatment it is useful to take vitamins C and B in tablets or in the composition of products. A positive attitude is very important: the scientists found that depression significantly slows the recovery from herpes zoster.