How to treat skin herpes zoster

Shingles is a common skin disease caused by the varicella virus. Its characteristics are that patients feel extremely severe pain and are prone to repeated attacks. There are many treatments for shingles, including drug therapy, physical therapy, topical medication, and some traditional Chinese medicine treatments, etc. For patients with recurrent shingles, comprehensive treatment with multiple methods should be adopted in a timely manner.

1. Drug treatment

Antiviral drugs: selected for treatment based on the cause of the disease, such as ribavirin, acyclovir, interferon and oral Chinese and Western medicines can inhibit the virus to varying degrees and promote the patient's recovery. Timely, effective and sufficient use of medication can sometimes reduce the incidence of sequelae.

Immunity-enhancing drugs: prednisone, polyinosin, nucleotides, etc.

Drugs that promote nerve repair: such as vitamin B1, vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, etc.

2. Physical therapy

The physical therapy methods currently used mainly include ultraviolet rays, ultra-short waves, linearly polarized light, far infrared rays, lasers, etc. The main effect of treatment is anti-inflammatory and analgesic.

3. Paravertebral and nerve root blocks

The clinical treatment of acute herpes zoster can also be achieved by injecting therapeutic drugs around the nerve roots in the paravertebral foramen or using corresponding nerve segmental blocks, with equally satisfactory results. However, the location must be accurate and the clinical technical operation requirements are also high. Be careful to prevent complications.

4. Epidural injection

The epidural space is a potential space between the ligamentum flavum and the dura mater that is filled with connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve roots, and fat. After the drug is injected, it can directly act on the affected tissues and nerves of patients with acute herpes zoster. Clinically, it can achieve timely and satisfactory analgesic effects, shorten the course of the disease, and promote the recovery of acute herpes zoster.

5. Acupuncture and cupping

Acupuncture and cupping are used to treat herpes zoster, which can draw out the toxins and bad blood in the body, thereby achieving the purpose of relieving pain and curing the disease.

6. Comprehensive treatment

Herpes zoster is treated with a combination of Chinese and Western medicines, local injections of drugs, nerve root blockade, physical therapy, and topical analgesic ointments. Especially for the acute stage of herpes zoster, it can usually be cured in 3-5 times, and generally no post-herpetic neuralgia will remain.