Herpes skin or herpes zoster is a disease characterized by the appearance of a rash on the skin and pain. By ordinary people, skin herpes is often called shingles. Skin herpes can be treated with antiviral drugs and pain relievers to deal with the complaints that arise.
Skin herpes is caused by a viral infection Varicella zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox. Therefore, skin herpes is also known as herpes zoster. With early and proper treatment, skin herpes can usually heal within 2-3 weeks.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Skin Herpes
Skin herpes can be experienced by anyone, especially people who have had chickenpox before.
In addition, skin herpes or herpes zoster is also more at risk for people who have a weak immune system, for example due to side effects of cancer treatment, suffer from autoimmune diseases, use immune-suppressing drugs, and are elderly or over 50 years old.
When exposed to skin herpes, a person will experience the following symptoms:
- A rash and red spots appear on the skin that are painful and sore on one side of the body
- Bumps or blisters filled with fluid that break easily
- Itchy skin
- Fever
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Numbness or tingling of the skin
These symptoms will usually subside on their own within a few weeks. However, you are still recommended to get treatment so that herpes does not spread to other people and relieves the symptoms of skin herpes that appear.
Multiple Kinds Skin Herpes Medicine
Treatment for skin herpes does not completely cure herpes, but it can reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of the infection. To treat skin herpes, doctors can give drugs in the form of:
1. Antiviral drugs
Drugs for skin herpes in the form of antiviral drugs that can be prescribed by a doctor are: acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. To be more effective in relieving symptoms, this drug needs to be given no later than 3 days after the symptoms of skin herpes appear.
2. Analgesic drugs
Giving analgesic drugs aims to relieve pain and overcome inflammation of the skin due to skin herpes. To relieve the pain caused by skin herpes, doctors can prescribe analgesic drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
3. Anticonvulsant drugs
This drug is actually used to treat seizures. However, in cutaneous herpes, anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentin It can be used to treat chronic pain.
In addition, to deal with severe pain due to skin herpes, the doctor may also prescribe antidepressant drugs such as amitriptyline.
4. Itching reliever
Itching medication that can be prescribed by a doctor is generally available in the form of an ointment or powder to be applied to the itchy and sore skin area. However, to deal with complaints of severe itching on the skin, doctors can also prescribe itching relievers in tablet form, for example diphenhydramine.
In addition to medication, you can also relieve the symptoms of skin herpes with self-care at home in the following ways:
- Take a cold shower or give a cold compress to the area of the skin affected by herpes, and apply calamine powder or lotion
- Do not scratch the blistered skin because it can cause the skin to be injured and infected by bacteria
- Get enough rest
- Do not break the blisters because the fluid inside contains a virus that can spread to other areas of the body and even spread to other people
Although generally harmless, skin herpes can cause pain that can affect activities. If not treated properly, the symptoms of skin herpes can also get worse. Therefore, if you experience symptoms of skin herpes, check with your doctor to get the right treatment.