What is Herpes Zoster(Shingles)?

Herpes Zoster or Shingles isa unilateral, inflammatory, vesicobullous eruption caused by a virus which attacks the posterior root ganglion and produces the skin eruption secondarily alone a cranial or spinal nerve.

Causes of Herpes Zoster:

Exposure to chicken pox, trauma both physical and mental, tumours of the cord, medicines like arsenic, lymphomas and carcinomas.

Symptoms :

  1. Pain with hyperaesthesia along the course of the nerve, and fever.
  2. There are several oedematous patches along the course of a nerve with intervening clear areas, these are very tender and painful. A few hours later, they are surmounted with small vesicles that may gradually enlarge to form bullae. The vesicles occur in crops. The contents become purulent. The regional glands are painful and tender. Each crop dries in a week. An attack lasts for 2-3 weeks. The rash is usually unilateral, rarely bilateral. The rash leaves behind pigmentation and scarring. Sites Thethoracic and lumbar dermatomes are most commonly affected. An eruption in the mandibular or maxillary distribution of trigeminal nerve is associated with oral, palatal and pharyngeal lesions. If the ophthalmic division is affected, there may be keratitis or uveitis, with vesicles in the nose. In the Ramsay-Hunt syndrome the geniculate ganglion is affected. Fain in the ear and throat is followed by vesicles in and around the external auditory meatus associated with lower motor neurone facial paralysis.

Management :

1. Calamine lotion applied several times a day.

2. Analgesics.

3.Antibiotics Systemically if there are signs of infection. Local application of an antibiotic ointment once the vesicles break down.

Herpes Zoster



Home remedies for Herpes Zoster

Aloe Vera, Lavender Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Bergamot oil

A two-stage treatment. First, apply the mixture described below to the blister. Once the blister has evolved into an ulcer or scab, apply aloe vera gel.

Mix 6 drops of tea tree oil, 6 drops of bergamot oil and 3 drops of lavender oil. Use a q-tip to gently apply to the red spot that precedes the blister, or to the blister, three times a day for two consecutive days. Do NOT apply to wet ulcers or scabs. After the blister stage, apply aloe vera gel three times a day until the sore has healed altogether (inlcuding the scab).

The blister and the scab will each disappear within two days instead of one week, i.e., the entire healing process will take four days instead of two weeks.

Shingles Pathophysiology

Home remedies can also help a person with shingles feel better faster. Skin rash and blisters should be kept clean and dry. A person should avoid scratching. Adequate sleep and rest is an important part of taking care of shingles. Strenuous activities should be avoided. Stressful events can be relieved through relaxation techniques. Diverting attention from the pain may be essential. Some diversions include listening to music, watching television, reading a book, working a puzzle, or working on a hobby.


It is important to consult a doctor, but there are home remedies that can give you intermittent relief while you take your medications.

  • Breakouts of shingles can be quite painful. To relieve the pain, try placing cold packs over the affected skin. The coolness can cause the pain and inflammation to reduce. Also, if blisters have formed, the cold compress will helps to contain those. Usually this cold pack should be applied for twenty minutes everyday, several times in a day.
  • Get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Since your immunity is low, it is best to stay in bed and keep your body hydrated. Start working only once you restore your energy and your immunity is strong once again.
  • If there is a lot of inflammation, taking an anti-inflammation medicine will help you. However, do consult a doctor before you that.
  • For getting relief from pain and inflammation, there are several topical anti- inflammatory creams that can be used. After consultation with your doctor, choose one that suits you and apply it on the affected skin.
  • You may be tempted to pop the blisters, but that wont do you any good. If you pop them open, they may only take more time to heal. In fact they might leave behind scars.

How shingles develops

Herpes Simplex Prevention And Treatment of Herpes Simplex

Herpes simplex or cold sores is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the skin along with the nervous system of the body. These viruses produce small, painful fluid filled blisters that appear around the area of lips, mouth, and nose. Sometimes these blisters may appear on fingers or genital organs. This infection is also called as Orofacial infection and there are chances of this infection appearing three to four times within one year.

Herpes simplex cold sores are caused because of the herpes viruses. Through mouth these viruses enters the body and then attacks the nerve tissues. By attacking nerve cells, viruses start traveling from nervous system to ganglia. In the ganglia viruses lies dormant in epidermal cells and when get trigger becomes activate. This reactivation of the viruses may be triggers due to long exposure to sunlight, physical or emotional stress, fever, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menstruation period and some times due to certain food and drugs. Some times the reactivation period may be of 24 hours or it may take up to 3 to 5 days.