Herpes zoster is a viral disease characterized by unilateral skin rashes with severe pain syndrome. This disease is mostly seen in people of the elderly age, as well as people with weakened immunity: patients with leukemia, lymphogranulomatosis, neoplasms, receiving chemotherapy, long-term receiving corticosteroids and immuno-depressants. The infection is especially common in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Children who have not previously had chickenpox, upon contact with patients with this disease, develop typical "chickenpox".

It has been proven that after the transferred chickenpox, the virus persists for many years in the human nerve fibers, without causing any damage to human health. With a sharp weakening of local and general immunity, the activation of the virus may occur, and the infection manifests itself in the form of rashes in those skin areas for which the affected nerve is responsible. In most cases, the intercostal nerves or the trigeminal nerve are affected.

Characteristic feature of herpes zoster is one-sided lesion.

Depending on the localization of nerve damage, the following conditions may develop:

Ophthalmic herpes zoster - the virus enters the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, which is dangerous by damage to the cornea.
Ramsey-Hunt syndrome - rashes occur in the external auditory canal or oropharynx and are accompanied by unilateral paralysis of facial muscles. In some cases, hearing loss and systemic dizziness also develop.
Herpes zoster is muscle weakness in areas of skin rash.

Herpes zoster Treatment 

The disease is treated in a comprehensive manner. Most likely, you will not need to go to a clinic. Therapy is carried out with medications, antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs. The effectiveness of therapy directly depends on the rate at which it starts: it is better to start as early as possible.

With complex gangrenous and common forms of herpes zoster, or when the eye (ear) is affected, you will need to go to a hospital. Physiotherapeutic agents help well: UV irradiation, UHF, electrophoresis. Local therapy is used - aniline dyes, ointments, which, when used in combination, also accelerate recovery. In severe forms of the disease, antibiotics will be included in the complex therapy. Anti-relapse therapy is also helpful. 

After elimination of skin rashes, therapy will be continued by our neuropathologists until the disappearance of post-herpes neurological pain sensations. 

Duration of Treatment 

Treatment for herpes zoster takes from a week to a month. The duration depends on the characteristics of the disease and the organism.

The consequence for the human body after the treatment of herpes zoster is severe pain in places where there were ulcers. The syndrome is called postherpetic neuralgia and lasts from a couple of months to a couple of years. The causes of the syndrome are the activity of the virus for some time in the nervous system after recovery.