Herpes zoster, also known as “shingles,” is a viral infection that affects the skin, particularly the sides of the chest, and is brought on by the same virus that gives children chicken pox: varicella zoster. Postherpetic neuralgia is a nerve disease that develops after an attack of herpes zoster.
The virus that causes herpes stays dormant in the body’s nerve tissues after an episode, but it can reactivate when a person’s immunity is compromised or during recovery from a serious illness, causing blisters on the skin known as shingles.
The pain is a drawing, pricking type of intense pain that can occasionally be accompanied by a burning sensation of the skin, and it lasts from a few weeks to a few months, rarely years. The pain usually appears in the affected dermatone or the affected nerve course and results in severe pain in the region that has the same nerve supply.
Causes
- three days after contracting shingles, develop a severe rash
- 65% of patients, according to a study, were women.
- When shingles affect a person over the age of 50, their risk of developing PHN rises.
- Herpes zoster can occur in up to 25% of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients, and it can occur up to 15 times more frequently in HIV-infected people than in non-infected people.
- This condition affects black people at a rate of one-fourth that of white people.
-
Site of HZ involvement
- Lower risk: lumbar, sacral, neck, and jaw
- Moderate risk – Thoracic
- Brachial plexus and the trigeminal system, particularly the ophthalmic division, are the most at risk.
Signs and symptoms:
- A person has PHN if their pain lasts for three months or longer after their shingles have healed.
- The pain associated with the PHN may be sharp, stinging, burning, aching, or constant.
- Blisters on the skin could leave scars behind.
- Alterations in sensations, such as hypersensitivity or reduced sensitivity, may be present in the involved deramatome.
- The patient may also experience muscle weakness, tremor, or paralysis in rare circumstances where the nerves involved also control muscle movement.
Treatment:
While waiting for the condition to get better, the standard of care focuses on managing pain. Pain therapy may involve a variety of interventions, including topical medications, over-the-counter analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and a number of non-medical modalities. Narcotics may also be necessary on occasion.
Homoeopathic Medicine:
Mezereum – For Postherpetic Neuralgia with Intense Burning
Mezereum is regarded as one of the best treatments for postherpetic neuralgia and is most effective when the pain is severe and accompanied by a distinct burning sensation. Mezereum is also effective in cases of active herpes zoster where eruptions are present. The main signs and symptoms to look for include: face pain that may worsen while eating; face pain that is relieved by warmth; and violent, intense postherpetic neuralgic pain.
2. Ranunculus Bulbosus – For Pains coming in Paroxysms
Ranunculus Bulbosus, one of the top prescribed medications for intercostal neuralgia following herpetic infection, is another prominently indicated drug for postherpetic neuralgia. It is indicated for sharp, shooting, postherpetic neuralgic pains that come in paroxysms.
3. Rhus Tox – One of the best Medicines for Postherpetic Neuralgia
Rhus Tox is one of the best medications for postherpetic neuralgia when the pains are accompanied by noticeable restlessness and the skin is sensitive to cold air in such cases. Rhus Tox is the most preferred medication for herpes zoster when the vesicles are yellowish with itching and stinging. Rhus Tox also features on the list of highly effective medications for postherpetic neuralgia.
Comments are closed.