Shingles = Snake?~

so vui kiat..here you have it...'snake' in english..=)....dun get me wrong..is regarding my previous post on the disease that caused han to suffer..yea~'snake' in english, that's what i will name it...learned this term 'shingles' from Janice when i was talking on her through the phone...it had been a while since i last met her...that was during CNY!wow..three months...she's from Medical faculty, currently studying in UM, so term like this is no stranger to her...haha..and how i am glad to learn this new word..hehe..thanks Janice!~

so back to SHINGLES~ it do somehow sound 'snake' to me....so i went google and searched for the information about it...

Shingles OVERVIEW

SHINGLES is a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus (varicella-zoster virus, or VZV). This same virus causes the childhood illness chichkenpox.

The chickenpox virus (varicella) remains in a dormant state in the body in the root of nerves that control sensation. In about 1 out of 5 people, the virus "wakes up," often many years after the chickenpox infection. The virus then travels along a sensory nerve into the skin causing a painful rash known as shingles.

Shingles is derived from the Latin and French words for belt or girdle, (so is true!!~ the 'snake' goes round your body eh~) reflecting distribution of the rash in a broad band. This band is usually only on one side of the body and represents a dermatome—the area that a single sensory nerve supplies in the skin.

Anyone who has had the chickenpox infection or vaccine can get the herpes zoster virus that causes shingles. Older people and those with cancer, HIV, or organ transplants have a decreased ability to fight off infection and a greater chance of getting shingles.

The majority of people with shingles, however, are healthy. No special tests need to be done to see if your immune system is strong.

Shingles CAUSES

No one knows for sure what causes the chickenpox virus to become activated to cause shingles. Some possibilities:

• STRESS
• FATIGUE
• A weakened immune system (This may be age-related, disease-related, or a drug-related decrease in ability to keep the chickenpox virus in an inactive state.)
  Cancer
• Radiation treatments
• Injury of the skin where the rash occurs

Shingles SYMPTONS

Depending on the nerves involved, shingles can affect many parts of the body.

The first symptom of shingles is often extreme sensitivity or pain in a broad band on one side of the body. The sensation can be itching, tingling, burning, constant aching, or deep, shooting, or "lightning bolt" pain.

Typically, 1-3 days after the pain starts, a rash with raised, red bumps and blisters erupts on the skin in the same distribution as the pain. They become pus-filled, then form scabs by 10-12 days.

The rash disappears as the scabs fall off in the next 2-3 weeks, and scarring may result.

Shingles PREVENTION

There is no way to prevent shingles!!

You cannot get shingles from someone else with shingles. However, if you have not had chickenpox, you can get chickenpox from close contact with open blisters of someone with shingles. Covering the rash with a dressing or clothing helps decrease the risk of spreading the infection to others.

Shingles OUTLOOK

Most cases of shingles go away by themselves with or without treatment. The rash and pain should be gone in 2-3 weeks. However, shingles may last longer and be more likely to recur if you are older, especially older than 50 years, or have a serious medical problem.

Pain may last after the rash is gone. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. This type of pain is more common in older people, and the pain may be severe.
Other possible complications include a bacterial skin infection, spread of infection to internal organs of the body, or eye damage. Scarring is common.

More information, visit this website: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/shingles/article_em.htm

so there you have it~SHINGLES! i think this word will stuck in my head for the rest of my life..haha...anyway, my last update on han was that he still in pain and the rashes and red bumps didn seem to get better..so yesterday after his paper, he went back to Kuching Kenyalang Park and visited another man who was well-known to treat shingles..

according to Chinese beliefs (not trying to be supertitious here...but is kinda true~), people who are infected by shingles, must go and see..not doctor (mostly wont go) but someone who has experience in handling shingles..so in this case, this 'kenyalang snakeman'...my friend also mentioned to me, once, her boyfriend's mother got shingles, also went and get rid of it...i think is the same guy since the aunty lives in kenyalang park...

so han went to that man....as what i heard from people saying, to kill the 'snake', you must find the 'eyes of the snake' and destroy it! not sure what other word to use than 'destroy'..so this snakeman found the 'eyes' behind the han's ears...i heard mostly the 'eyes' are located there...he used a "xiang" (i dunnoe what it is called in english) to poke somewhere behind the ears..han said he heard a sound 'POP'! for real!! he heard the sound! people said when u heard the sound, the 'snake's eyes' are successfully poked!haha..glad to hear that~then the snakeman also treated some of his reddish pus-filled bumps...

han is back to UNIMAS now...but he was told not to bath (in 3 hours) and by his own will, his insisted not to bath in one day, just to be on the safe side! well, is kinda scary and at the same time fustrating to get this kind of 'experience'...he was also told to take extra care of what he consume...no meat or eggs...pity han..this few days were tidious for him...2 papers to go and yet been rushing up and down because of the shingles...but i hope this time he will recover soon!!

snake, snake, go away!!!

that should be all about shingles~

I am going home tonight!! however, before that i still have to sit for 2 papers today~ SPN 2052 Laboratory Safety & Management and SPN 2412 Methods in Teaching Science..i will do my best!!! my flight was retimed~ supposed to be departing at 1925..but the time was rescheduled to 2015..oh well, no big deal, I'M GOING HOME anyway!!! haha...so happy..cannot wait to finsih my finals and walk out that examination hall today!!!!

KUCHING KUCHING! Home is where the heart stays~muacks!