Healthy Lifestyle

SHINGLES, also known as herpes zoster, is an uncomfortable and often painful rash. Since it usually appears on the abdomen or buttocks, herpes zoster is named for the Greek word zoster, meaning “girdle”. The name shingles comes from the Latin word cingulum, a translation of zoster, which also means “girdle”. Shingles is
caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which also causes chickenpox.

Naturopathy
The naturopathic treatment aims to improve the immune function. Sometimes, the immune system can be affected by a toxic system, said Dr Sundardas DA, naturopathic physician and clinical director
of Natural Therapies Centre.

Dietary changes are then recommended. The advice is to include raw fruits, vegetables, brewer’s yeast, brown
rice and whole grains in the diet to build up and strengthen the immune system.

A cleansing fast can help. This can be a modified one where you eat only raw fruits and vegetables, or drink raw vegetable juice over three days.

Traditional Chinese Medicine
According to TCM diagnosis, the symptoms of shingles are attributed to toxic fire and damp-heat accompanied by a weak qi, said Mr Lee SC, the principal TCM practitioner with Chinese Herbal Heritage.

An infection arises due to the penetration of a toxic substance, in this case the varicella-zoster virus. Fever, tingling and burning sensations are characteristic of fire.

Damp-heat is descriptive of the wet, infected, fluid filled blisters. Stress and repressed anger, aggravated by an imbalanced diet characterised by over-indulgence in alcohol and rich, spicy and greasy foods, can cause heat and dampness to build up and precipitate an outbreak of shingles.

Qi energies, associated with the strength of the immune defence system, generally wane with age and immunity is compromised. This explains why the elderly and sickly are more susceptible to shingles.

The treatment of shingles using TCM is two-pronged. The short-term objective is to minimise an impending eruption and this depends on when treatment is initiated. If herbs such as woad root, phellodendron and
wild chrysanthemum are taken at the first signs of tingling and sensitivity, the blisters will not surface. The long-term aim is to reduce or eliminate recurrent episodes. A practitioner may advise diet changes and
herbal therapy and recommend acupuncture to resolve underlying root causes.

Modern medicine
Herpes zoster infection, or shingles, is caused by VZV, the same virus responsible for chicken pox. Chicken pox (varicella) represents the primary infection with VZV, after which the virus persists in an area of
nerves called dorsal root ganglia. Shingles results from the reactivation of this latent virus. Impaired immunity increases the risk of reactivation, said associate consultant Dr Audrey Tan of the National Skin Centre.

The onset of zoster is characterised by pain, followed by an eruption of red spots, which develop into vesicles in a continuous band along a stretch of skin known as a dermatome. In individuals with impaired immunity,
vesicles can become generalised. In severe cases, other organs may be involved, including the liver, lung and brain. People with zoster are infectious, from the virus present in the skin lesions and sometimes from the nose. Eye complications can result when zoster affects the skin around the eye.

Most people recover in two to four weeks, but some, especially those above 50, may experience pain for more than a month after resolution of the skin lesions. This complication is post-herpetic neuralgia. Early treatment with appropriate antiviral medication prevents progression and reduces pain during treatment. Various
topical and oral medications are available.