Shingles

For a lay person:

Shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. It causes a painful, blistering rash in a band on one side of the body. Some people have nerve pain that lasts after the rash heals (postherpetic neuralgia).

For a trained medical person:

Reactivation of varicella-zoster virus in a dermatome. Early antivirals (within 72 hours) reduce severity. Postherpetic neuralgia is managed with neuropathic analgesics; vaccination reduces risk.

In Chinese medicine:

Flaws and Sionneau's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Liver-gallbladder depressive fire; Spleen dampness internally smoldering; Qi and Blood Stagnation. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor promptly, ideally within three days of the rash. Get urgent care for shingles near the eye.