Shingles

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful skin rash . It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster.

Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again. But it is possible to get shingles more than once.

Dr. Yan Zhang Acupuncture by Yan P.C. Garden City, NY, 11530

What causes shingles?

  • When the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body
  • Some medicines may trigger the virus to wake up and cause a shingles rash.
  • There is a small chance that a person with a shingles rash can spread the virus to another person who hasn’t had chickenpox and who hasn’t gotten the chickenpox vaccine.

What are the symptoms?

  • You may have a headache or be sensitive to light.
  • You may also feel like you have the flu but not have a fever.
  • Later, you may feel itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area.
  • The rash turns into clusters of blisters. The blisters fill with fluid and then crust over.
  • It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the blisters to heal, and they may leave scars. Some people only get a mild rash. And some do not get a rash at all.
  • Or you could have pain or a rash on your face, changes in your vision, changes in how well you can think, or a rash that spreads. A rash or blisters on your face, especially near an eye or on the tip of your nose, can be a warning of eye problems.

How Acupuncture treat shingles?

  • Put needles on the Ashi Points around the skin lesions
  • Use Seven-Star Needles to tap the skin lesions
  • Cupping after the Acupuncture
  • Take Chinese Herb for reduce the dampness, heat and toxin in the body

Dr. Yan Zhang Acupuncture by Yan P.C. Garden City, NY, 11530