HZ is an acute viral infection with reactivation of varicella zoster virus. It is also known as shingles.
It is characterized by unilateral pain and vesicular and bullous eruption to a nerve root.
Age of onset: less than 50 yrs. of age.
People who are at risk of getting herpes zoster are-
Diminishing immunity against varicella zoster virus with advancing age and occurring below 55 years.
Malignancy
Immunosuppression
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
HIV-infected individuals have increased chance of herpes zoster.
CLINICAL FEATURES
Herpes zoster manifested in three clinical stages.
Prodromal stage, active stage, chronic state
Acute pain is accompanied by a rash. Chronic pain may persist even after the lesions have healed or persist four weeks after the onset of a lesion.
Skin symptoms: pain and tenderness, paresthesia, followed by vesiculation with itching but not painful.
Abdominal zoster: present with severe abdominal pain that may precede rash by hours to days.
Chronic stages -Described as ice burning, shooting or lancinating can persist for weeks months or years.
Constitutional symptoms
Prodromal stage- vesiculation, headache, malaise, fever
Chronic stage: depression
Eruption occurs unilaterally along the course of a nerve root.
Site of predilection: thoracic, face, lumbosacral, and cervical area
Mucous membranes: vesicles and erosion occur in mouth, vagina and bladder depending on the nerve root involved.
There will be also lymph node enlargement on affected area.
HERPES GENITALIS
Genital herpes is a chronic sexually transmitted viral infection characterized by symptomatic and asymptomatic viral shedding. Symptomatic genital herpes may present with grouped vesicles at the site of inoculation. There will be associated pain and lymph node enlargement.
Mode of transmission
It is transmitted usually by skin to skin contact. The risk factors to the disease increase with the number of sex partners.
CLINICAL FEATURES
Incubation period - 2 to 20 days.
Symptoms.
The primary GH is asymptomatic and there can be symptoms like fever, malaise, headache, myalgia for the first 3 to 4 days after the onset of lesions.
And it began to resolve during the subsequent 3 to 4 days. There is pain, itching, dysuria, lumbar radiculitis, vaginal or urethral discharge. Tender inguinal lymphadenopathy occurs during second or third weeks. To start with, erythematous plaque seen initially, followed by groups of vesicles, which may evolve to pustules. The erosions are punched and may enlarge to ulcerations, which may be crusted or moist.
In recurrent GH, there can be common symptoms like, itching, burning, fissure, redness, irritation, dysuria, sciatica, rectal discomfort prior to eruption of vesicles, .
HERPES LABIALIS
It is also known as fever blisters. It is caused by the herpes simplex viruses. It is characterized by grouped vesicles around and may be with mild fever.
Causes
Fever
Upper respiratory tract infection,
Weakness
Menstruation
Hormonal changes
Stress
Treatment
Homeopathic medicines are strongly advocated for herpes zoster treatment. Since homeopathy is highly effective in viral infection, further recurrence can also be avoided. Besides this, homeopathic medicines are very much helpful for the pain that persists after healing. It is called post herpetic neuralgia one of the most painful sequelae after herpes zoster.
Medicines.
Mezerium, Rhust tox, Ars alb, Apis, Cantharis are some frequently indicated medicines.
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