What Having Shingles Felt Like and How I Treated It
I am currently recovering from an outbreak of shingles. As you learned in my previous post, shingles is the common name for the condition that results from a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. Ten days ago, the virus that had been lying dormant in my left 5th cranial nerve since I contracted chicken pox at age 8, became active again. Have I really been that stressed? I didn’t think so, but apparently my immune system was taxed enough to let its guard down against the herpes zoster army that subsequently attacked my ophthalmic nerve.
Shingles Part II: TCM Differentiation and Treatment
[Caution for my readers: The information in this post is intended for healthcare practitioners. Do not attempt to administer any of the suggested medicinals or supplements to yourself at the doses suggested here. Not all of the substances mentioned here are safe for every patient and they should only be prescribed by licensed practitioners.]
Shingles Part I: Understanding the Viral Phases
Herpes Zoster (a.k.a. Shingles) is an acute skin infection associated with the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (the virus that causes chickenpox). During chicken pox infection, the virus enters the cutaneous nerves and then travels to the dorsal root ganglia where it lies dormant until something triggers it to become active again. Stress, illness, emotional upset, T-cell immuno-suppressant drugs, fatigue and radiation therapy (any circumstances that compromise a patient’s immunity) can trigger the latent virus to travel back down the sensory nerve to infect the surface of the skin (along a single dermatome).
There are 3 distinct clinical phases of shingles: prodromal, active, and chronic.
That Rash Around Your Mouth Might Be Perioral Dermatitis
Our most widely-read post on this blog is about a rash I had around my mouth and how I discovered what triggered it and how I finally healed it. That particular rash was the result of an allergic reaction to propolis. But not all rashes near the mouth or on the face are caused by allergic contact dermatitis. Sometimes they are the result of a condition called perioral dermatitis. Differentiation of mouth/face rashes is important because the treatments for allergic contact dermatitis, acne, rosacea, or eczema can make perioral dermatitis worse.
Status Cosmeticus: Are Your Efforts To Improve Your Complexion Making It Worse?
It’s good to have a nourishing skin care routine. But it is possible to do more harm than good when caring for the delicate skin of the face if you end up using too many skin care products or products that contain particular known irritants.
Herbal Treatment For Skin Diseases: How Soon Will I See Results?
I have been treating patients in my private TCM practice since 1999. I have seen thousands of patients. I know most people want fast results from their treatments, regardless of what ails them. As the practitioner, I, too, want to get my patients feeling better as soon as humanly possible. As soon as HUMANLY possible. Therein lies the rub.