What is Shingles?

Shingles (otherwise known as 'Herpes Zoster' occurs when the major sensory nerves become infected with the Herpes Zoster (HZ) virus. The HZ virus is closely related to, if not identical to, the chicken pox virus and it attacks the sensory nerves producing pain and blistering arround the inflamed nerve and on the skin - commonly the chest. Itching and pain can be extremely severe and even after the infection subsides and blisters have disappeared, the pain can remain (known as 'postherpetic neuralgia'). Many doctors believe that this is due to scarring of the affected nerves.

Conventional medical treatment

Conventional medical treatment focusses on topical, intravenous and oral medications (mainly antiviral agents) but studies relating to these remain inconclusive. Even the British National Formulary states in relation to the commonly used antiviral drug 'Acyclovir' : 'Evidence of its value in Herpes Zoster infections is conflicting.'