What are the symptoms of panlong herpes?

Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is a relatively common skin disease. After the onset of shingles, not only will small blisters appear on the skin, but the patient may also have symptoms such as fatigue, low fever, and some other types of complications. Therefore, shingles not only affects the health of the skin, but also causes other problems in the body. So, what are the specific symptoms of shingles?

1. Typical manifestations

Before the rash occurs, there may be systemic symptoms such as mild fatigue, low fever, and poor appetite. The affected skin will feel burning or neuralgia, and there will be obvious pain sensitivity when touched, which lasts for 1 to 3 days. The rash may also occur without any prodromal symptoms. The most common sites are the areas innervated by the intercostal nerves, cervical nerves, trigeminal nerves and lumbar sacral nerves. The affected area often first develops erythema, soon followed by millet- to soybean-sized papules, which are clustered and not fused, and then quickly turn into blisters with tense and shiny blister walls, clear blister fluid, and a red halo around the periphery. The skin between clusters of blisters is normal. The lesions are arranged in a band-like pattern along a peripheral nerve, mostly on one side of the body, usually not exceeding the midline. Neuralgia is one of the characteristics of this disease and may occur before the onset of the disease or accompany skin lesions. The course of the disease is generally 2 to 3 weeks. After the blisters dry up and the scabs fall off, temporary light red spots or pigmentation remain.

2. Special Performance

1. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus

It is caused by a virus invading the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. It is more common in the elderly. It causes severe pain and can involve the cornea to form ulcerative keratitis.

2. Herpes zoster oticus

It is caused by virus invasion of the facial nerve and auditory nerve, and manifests as herpes in the external auditory canal or tympanic membrane. When the geniculate ganglion is affected and the motor and sensory nerve fibers of the facial nerve are invaded at the same time, a triad of facial paralysis, ear pain, and external auditory canal herpes may occur, which is called Ramsay-Hunt syndrome.

3. Postherpetic neuralgia

Shingles is often accompanied by neuralgia, which may occur before the rash, during the rash, and after the skin lesions have healed, but it usually disappears after the skin lesions have completely subsided or within 1 month. In a few patients, the neuralgia may last for more than 1 month, which is called postherpetic neuralgia.

4. Other atypical herpes zoster

It is related to the difference in patients' body resistance, and can manifest as abortive type (no skin lesions, only neuralgia), incomplete type (only erythema and papules appear without blisters and then disappear), bullous type, hemorrhagic type, gangrenous type and generalized type (simultaneous involvement of more than two ganglia, resulting in skin lesions in multiple areas on the contralateral or ipsilateral side). The virus can occasionally spread through the blood to produce widespread varicella-like rash and invade organs such as the lungs and brain, which is called disseminated herpes zoster.

Complications

1. Concurrent bacterial infection

If herpes zoster lesions occur in specific areas, such as the eyes, serious consequences may occur. If secondary bacterial infection occurs, it may cause panophthalmitis or even meningitis, and may lead to sequelae such as decreased vision, blindness, and facial paralysis.

2. Postherpetic neuralgia

Shingles on the head mostly occur in the front part of the head, where the first branch of the trigeminal nerve is distributed, and can cause hair loss and permanent scars. After the shingles skin lesions heal, the pain may continue for some time. Neuralgia may last for several months or even more than a year in some elderly patients, which can seriously affect their sleep and mood. Severe pain and long duration of pain can lead to symptoms such as mental anxiety and depression.

3. May induce keratitis, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis

Herpes zoster can occur in the trigeminal nerve segment of the face. There is a nerve fiber in the trigeminal nerve, namely the ophthalmic nerve fiber. Some nerve fibers are distributed in the cornea, conjunctiva and even the entire eyeball of the human eye. If the nerve fibers in this area are infected by the herpes virus, keratitis, corneal ulcers, and conjunctivitis may occur. The patient may become afraid of the light, tear, and have eye pain, resulting in decreased vision. In severe cases, panophthalmitis may occur and lead to blindness. When the herpes virus infects the motor nerve fibers in the facial nerve, facial paralysis occurs, resulting in the inability to close the affected eye, a dull facial expression on the affected side, the corner of the mouth tilting toward the healthy side, and the inability to blow air.

4. Cause inner ear dysfunction

Herpes zoster that occurs in the auricle or ear canal can cause symptoms of inner ear dysfunction. Patients experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hearing impairment, and nystagmus.

5. Cause viral encephalitis and meningitis

When the herpes virus invades the central nervous system, that is, the brain parenchyma and meninges of the human body, from the nerve roots in the spinal cord, viral encephalitis and meningitis will occur, which are manifested by severe headache, projectile vomiting, convulsions, limb cramps, confusion, coma, and life-threatening conditions. When the herpes virus invades the visceral nerve fibers in the body from the nerve roots in the spinal cord, it can cause acute gastroenteritis, cystitis, and prostatitis, manifested by abdominal cramps, difficulty urinating, and urinary retention.