Diagnostic Essentials for Herpes Zoster in Chinese medicine:
(1) This disease often occurs in spring and autumn and mostly in the adults and can be manifested by the premonitory symptoms of slight fever, discomfort in the whole body, burning sensation and pain in the skin of the infected region. The skin rash is mostly distributed along a certain peripheral nerve in a shape of belt. The skin rash occurring on one side of the body will not exceed the midline mostly. The frequently involved positions are intercostal nerve (54%), cervical nerve (20%), trigeminal nerve (including eyes, 15%) and lumbar nerve (11%).

(2) The skin rash is manifested by irregular erythema and then by clusters of papulo-vesicle in size from millet to mung bean, becoming blisters soon. In severe cases, big blisters, blood blisters or gangrene can happen, and the nearby lymphatic nodes are often enlarged. Usually, it can be cured itself in 2 to 3 weeks. But, in some patients, the old patients with weak constitution in particular, the residual neuralgia can last from several weeks to several months.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.