What to do if you have shingles on your face How can you get rid of shingles?

Herpes is a disease caused by the herpes virus. The most common ones are varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex virus, and facial herpes zoster. The face is an important part of the human body, and the occurrence of such diseases can cause great harm to the patient. So how do you treat facial shingles?

Herpes zoster is an acute inflammatory skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Its main manifestations are: sudden local skin allergy or burning pain, which may be accompanied by systemic symptoms such as mild fever, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, etc., or it may occur suddenly without any symptoms. Herpes appears at the time of onset, and scattered erythema and papules appear on the affected skin one after another, and quickly turn into blisters. Several groups of blisters are often arranged in a band-like shape along the cutaneous nerves. The most common is chest, abdomen or lumbar herpes zoster, followed by trigeminal herpes zoster.

Shingles is common in spring and autumn. When the disease occurs, scattered erythema appears on the affected skin, followed by clusters of papules ranging in size from millet to mung bean size on the erythema, which quickly turn into blisters. The blister wall is tight and shiny, the blister fluid is clear, and there are small depressions on most of the blister surface. Several groups of blisters are often arranged in a band-like pattern along the cutaneous nerves. The most common is chest, abdomen or lumbar herpes zoster, followed by trigeminal herpes zoster. Atypical herpes may also occur. Most skin lesions do not extend beyond the midline of the body. After a few days, the blister fluid becomes turbid, and after more than 10 days, the blisters are absorbed, dried and scab formed. After healing, there will be temporary light red spots or pigmentation, but generally no scars. The rupture of blisters may also lead to the formation of erosive ulcers. In severe cases, blood blisters, even necrosis or secondary suppurative infection may occur. Some mild patients have no skin lesions, only a tingling sensation, or a slightly flushed skin, or only erythema and papules without blisters. Severe cases, such as those occurring on the head and face, especially the eyes and ears, often experience severe pain, accompanied by swollen and painful nearby lymph nodes, and may even lead to blindness, facial paralysis, and deafness. Shingles can also spread throughout the body, often accompanied by high fever and pneumonia or encephalitis. In severe cases, it can lead to death if not treated in time.

In addition to the typical rash mentioned above, neuralgia is another major feature of this disease. Generally, neuralgia occurs 1-2 days before the rash appears and lasts until the rash subsides. The degree of pain varies and has no definite relationship with the severity of the rash. Children with shingles usually experience little or no pain, while elderly patients often experience severe pain. Moreover, about 30% to 50% of middle-aged and elderly patients may be left with intractable neuralgia after the skin lesions disappear, which often lasts for months or even years.

The treatment of herpes zoster includes systemic treatment and local treatment. Systemic treatment includes the early use of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and ribavirin; the use of nerve nourishing drugs such as vitamin B1 and B12; and analgesic treatment. Local treatment includes applying ointments or lotions to the skin lesions, as well as physical therapy such as infrared and microwave irradiation.

Because the skin lesions of shingles are like a string of beads and resemble a snake, Chinese medicine calls it "snake zoster." Traditional Chinese medicine has its own unique features. It mainly uses Chinese medicine for internal and external application, and treats patients based on syndrome differentiation. Treatment is based on syndrome differentiation and treatment according to the different rashes and systemic symptoms in the acute phase and postherpetic neuralgia phase. Choose different prescriptions for oral administration combined with external application for treatment to accelerate the scab healing of skin lesions, shorten the course of the disease and relieve pain. For postherpetic neuralgia, injection needle knife therapy can be used, combined with modern minimally invasive techniques, such as radiofrequency thermocoagulation therapy and radiofrequency pulse therapy, to achieve analgesic effects by blocking nerve conduction or regulating nerve function.

In addition, decreased resistance is an important factor in the onset of shingles. Therefore, you should combine work and rest, pay attention to rest, drink plenty of water, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and exercise to strengthen your physical fitness. If unexplained skin pain or herpes occurs, you should go to a regular hospital for treatment as soon as possible.