The temperature warms up in spring, and various diseases also enter a high incidence period. Among them, herpes zoster, as an infectious skin disease caused by varicella zoster virus, has attracted much attention due to its pain and possible sequelae. Experts suggest that scientific prevention of herpes zoster requires timely vaccination with the herpes zoster vaccine, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding overwork, staying up late, catching a cold, etc. Recently, Ms. Yan, who lives in Beijing, suddenly developed a rash on her waist to right chest. At first, it was only mild itching, but then the pain was unbearable and she couldn't sleep without touching it. The pain became more severe at night, like 'needle prick fire'. Yue Jianning, chief physician of the Pain Department at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, introduced that the typical symptoms of herpes zoster are clusters of blisters on one side of the skin accompanied by severe pain. This pain is often accompanied by blisters on the skin that spread along one or more nerve distribution areas, usually in a "long strip like" shape, commonly known as "waist coiling dragon". Some patients with herpes zoster may experience postherpetic neuralgia after recovery, especially elderly patients, and the pain may last for several months or even longer. The pathogenesis of herpes zoster is closely related to the human immune system. Middle aged and elderly people aged 50 and above are the main population affected by herpes zoster. People with chronic systemic diseases, such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease or immunodeficiency disease, as well as those who take drugs for a long time, which lead to decreased immunity, are also high-risk people for herpes zoster. In addition, some young people may experience shingles attacks when they are under high stress, have irregular daily routines, or have poor rest. Yue Jianning specifically reminds that although shingles is common in the waist and chest, it can actually occur in any part of the body. As long as there are nerves, shingles can occur in areas such as the head, neck, chest, waist, limbs, etc. Wu Wenyu, director of the Department of Dermatology at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, introduced that in addition to the common skin type herpes zoster, there are also various special types of herpes zoster manifestations, such as herpes zoster around the eyes and ears. Among them, herpes zoster around the eyes may have adverse effects on the eyeball, including the cornea; Herpes zoster in the ear can cause unbearable and severe pain in the ear, often accompanied by symptoms of facial paralysis. In severe cases, it may lead to hearing loss. Long term incubation is prone to recurrence. In fact, the varicella zoster virus has been lurking in the human body since infancy, and most people have contracted chickenpox in childhood. However, the virus has not been completely eliminated, but is hidden in certain ganglia of the body. When the human immune system is weakened, such as fatigue, environmental changes, aging, or chronic diseases, the virus may become active again, causing shingles. Herpes zoster often has some prodromal symptoms before onset, such as fatigue, low-grade fever, loss of appetite, or burning sensation and neuralgia on the skin. Some misconceptions about herpes zoster have led many people to take a wrong path in prevention and treatment. For example, Fan Bifa, director of the pain department of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said that it was a common misconception that "herpes zoster is not contagious". Herpes zoster has a certain degree of infectivity in the early and acute stages of the disease, and special attention should be paid to prevention when there are elderly or children at home. Once entering the postherpetic neuralgia stage, its infectivity is generally low, and it can even be considered non infectious. Many people believe that "shingles will not recur after being cured". Yue Jianning said that the shingles virus will remain dormant in the body for a long time after the initial infection, and is not immune for life. Therefore, patients who have had shingles once may still experience a relapse even when their immune system is weakened. Some people have irregular lifestyles and stay up late, which can lead to a decline in their immune function and also easily cause re infection of herpes zoster. Improving vaccination "early prevention and improving self immunity can effectively reduce the incidence rate of herpes zoster." Yue Jianning said that vaccination is also an important means of preventing herpes zoster, which can effectively reduce the incidence rate and severity of herpes zoster. According to statistics, the incidence of herpes zoster can be reduced by over 90% among people aged 50 and above after receiving the herpes zoster vaccine. At present, China has two options: recombinant herpes zoster vaccine and attenuated live herpes zoster vaccine. The injection requirement for recombinant herpes zoster vaccine is to be over 50 years old, requiring two injections to complete immunization, with a two month interval between the first and second doses; The requirement for injecting the attenuated live herpes zoster vaccine is to be over 40 years old, and only one injection is needed. People of appropriate age can go to the nearest vaccination clinic for consultation and vaccination. When getting vaccinated, one should consult a professional doctor and make a scientific choice under their guidance. Normally, the protection period of herpes zoster vaccine is between 5 and 20 years, which varies depending on individual differences. Yue Jianning specifically reminds patients with immune dysfunction or immunosuppressive diseases to consult a doctor in detail, assess their own situation and vaccination risks before receiving the herpes zoster vaccine, in order to ensure safe and effective vaccination. Patients who are currently suffering from shingles are not recommended to receive the vaccine and should wait until the herpes has recovered before receiving it; If patients suffer from acute febrile diseases such as high fever, vaccination should be postponed to avoid worsening the condition or affecting the effectiveness of the vaccine. Once symptoms of shingles are detected, medical attention should be sought immediately, and antiviral and nutritional nerve drugs should be used as early as possible to reduce the severity and complications of shingles. Do not delay treatment due to 'pain tolerance' Yue Jianning said. (New Society)