Treatment for Shingles

Posts Tagged ‘symptoms of shingles’

Good Foods That May Help if You Have Shingles

Friday, August 20th, 2010

If you have shingles, you may have to deal with quite a bit of discomfort. Often the regular medication that is available doesn’t manage to control the symptoms. For this reason a lot of people will consider alternative ways of dealing with shingles. One thing that may be helpful with dealing with the problem is a change in diet. Here are just some of the good foods that may help people deal with shingles.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is often touted as an effective food for dealing with shingles.  When using the oatmeal you don’t actual ingest it but instead make it into a paste and place it on your skin. This paste will then have a soothing effect on any part of the body where there are blisters caused by the shingles.

Peppers

Vitamin C is seen as something that can really help deal with the symptoms of shingles. Red and green peppers have been shown to be great sources of this vitamin and so adding these to your diet can be a good idea. This vitamin C will help boost your immune system and beat off the infection. Of course you can get Vitamin C from lot of other things like fruit, but peppers are a particularly good source of it.

Chilies

Chilies contain capsaicin and this has been shown to help with our experience of pain. Capsaicin works by blocking pain receptors. It seems though that taking the chilli in food is not as effective as using a cream containing this chemical.

These are just some of the foods that can help you deal with shingles. Just remember though that these are not meant to replace normal treatments; rather the goal is to complement them. Shingles can make life uncomfortable for awhile so anything that can help with this has to be good.

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What Causes Shingles?

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Shingles is a common ailment that people can pick up as adults. In some instances the symptoms can be quite mild but at other times they can be quite severe. A minority of people will suffer for complaints for the rest of their lives because of acquiring shingles in adulthood. In this article we will examine what causes shingles so that you can be more aware of this condition.

What causes Shingles?

Shingles is caused by the same virus that also causes chicken pox; the herpes varicella zoster. Chicken pox is normally only picked up when we are children, but adults are always at risk of developing shingles. Those of us who have had chicken pox will have the virus dormant in our system. This virus can later become activated again and this leads to the symptoms of shingles. We are most at risk of the virus resurfacing when our immune system is not functioning at an optimum level.

The shingles virus affects the nerves and this can mean it is quite painful to deal with. Some people never fully get over this pain and will have to deal with symptoms for years to come – this is only a minority of cases though.

How to Tell if You Have Shingles

Shingles normally starts off with symptoms similar to the flu but after a while areas of swelling and redness appear on the skin. These later turn into fluid filled blisters; similar to what you see with chicken pox. After that people can get periods of intense pain and itching.

If you think that you may have shingles then it is important that you see a doctor quickly. Most regular pain medication won’t be good enough to help with the pain and the doctor will likely need to prescribe something for this.

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Home Remedies for Shingles

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Shingles is a viral infection that affects the nerves. It can be very painful, and some people have symptoms for years after the virus has been cleared out of the system. There are a number of natural remedies that are believed to help people deal with the symptoms of shingles.

-    Putting an ice-pack on the area of the pain can make it a lot easier to manage. This type of treatment works best when the area where the pain is coming from feels hot.

-    Mindfulness meditation does not reduce the pain of shingles as such, but it does allow people to be better able to deal with it. Those who practice this technique have been shown to be able to handle pain a lot better than other people. Any type of relaxation technique can help ease pain, because we intensify it when we are feeling tense. Meditation regularly also helps the body become better able to deal with illness.

-    Practice Tai-Chi. Research has shown that Tai-Chi can help the immune system be more successful at fighting off viruses like shingles.

-    Never pop the shingles blisters as this can make the pain a lot worse. When you pop the blister you also increase the risk that you might get an infection to complicate your recovery.

-    Apple cider vinegar rubbed on the skin has been shown to relive the itching associated with shingles.

-    Make sure that you are getting sufficient Vitamin C and Vitamin E in your diet as a lack of these can make the symptoms of shingles worse. Vitamin B12 is vital for good nerve health and you should make sure that you have enough of this in your diet.

There you have just a few of the natural remedies available for treating shingles.

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How to Deal With Shingles

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Shingles can be a debilitating illness that can lead to problems with pain for years afterwards. It is important to know how to deal with shingles so that you get treatment quickly and have the virus dealt with effectively. The symptoms of shingles are often missed because they are similar to what occur with other illnesses. The sooner the problem can be recognised the more successfully you will probably be able to deal with this condition.

In the early stages of shingles the symptoms can be similar to the flu. You might feel nauseous and have chills all over your body. You may experience headaches and have a high temperature. You could also experience itching and a numbness on one side of the body. As the disease establishes itself you enter what is called the eruptive stage; now the symptoms become a lot more recognisable as being caused by shingles. You may have intense pain that never seems to go away. You might also have a lot of swelling and redness on those areas where you have the most pain. There may also be blisters containing a clear fluid.

The shingles virus affects the nerves and this is why it can be so painful. Your doctor will be able to begin treatment once the condition is recognised and there will be some pain medication that can help you better handle the pain – over the counter medication can be ineffective. You may have to deal with shingles for as long as two months. Some people develop a condition called postherpetic neuralgia following shingles and this can mean having to deal with pain for years to come. Most people who develop shingles will not experience symptoms that are too bad and they will quickly recover from it. If you suspect that you might have shingles you should go see your doctor as soon as possible.

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The Symptoms of Shingles

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Shingles is a disease caused by a virus and that affects the nerves; this means that it can be very painful. Spotting the symptoms of shingles can be difficult because they are quite similar to what you might expect from the flu. The early symptoms of shingles usually include:

-    Headache
-    Fever/chills
-    High temperatures
-    Nausea/vomiting
-    One side of the face feels numb
-    Itching/ tingling that affects one side of the body or face

After a while the condition reaches what is called the eruptive stage and you will likely experience:

-    Swelling and redness at the areas where you are experiencing pain; this can involve any part of the body.
-    You may also begin to notice small blisters which are full with a type of clear fluid (this is quite similar to chicken pox.
-    Intense pain that never seems to go away.

Shingles can be quite hard to deal with using normal pain medication so you will need to speak to your doctor to see what they can advise. The condition can last as long as two months, and some people develop a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia; this means that they may have to deal with pain for months or even years. Some people are quite lucky in that they only experience mild symptoms from shingles.

If you think that you have the symptoms of shingles then it is important that you seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You will need to be commenced on a special anti-viral medication which will allow your blisters to heal faster and so mean that you suffer less from the symptoms. In order for this medication to be effective it has to be commenced with 72 hours of you noticing the appearance of the shingles rash.

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Shingles

Monday, July 19th, 2010

What are Shingles?

Shingles is a viral infection that effects the nerve roots. It can be quite painful and can cause a rash on only one side of the body. The infection occurs when the virus that caused the chickenpox that you had as a child becomes active again after having been dormant in your system for the years in between.

Those who are likely to get shingles are older people and those who have an immune system that is weakened for a variety of reasons. Your immune system could be weakened due to stress or a medication that you are taking for another illness. Whatever the reason for your weakened immune system, the shingles are the result of the virus which your immune system is unable to fight off.

Symptoms of Shingles

The symptoms of shingles can begin slowly and gradually lead to a painful condition. In the beginning, you may notice that you have a headache and feel as though you are coming down with the flu. There will not be a fever, but you will feel the same achy feeling that is typical of the flu. The next symptoms that you will begin to feel are an itching or pain in a particular area of your body. This is the area where you are likely to develop a rash. This area may begin to blister and the blisters will fill with fluid. Many people wonder is shingles contagious; the fluid from the blisters is very contagious. If you have never had the chickenpox, you should avoid those that have shingles or it could cause chickenpox in you, but you will not contract shingles.

It is best to stay away from others until the rash clears up so that you don’t infect anyone with the chickenpox virus. Some of the other symptoms that may occur are lightheadedness, changes in vision, and feeling weak. Some people develop a rash on their face, but other develop no rash at all while they have shingles.

For those who have had chickenpox at some point in their life there is always the possibility of shingles later. There is now a vaccine that may prevent shingles from occurring or at least make the case much less painful. The shingles vaccination that you can receive if you have had the chickenpox is called Zostavax and if you have never had the chickenpox you can receive the Varicella vaccine to prevent both chickenpox and shingles later in life.

Treatment for Shingles

The treatment that you will most likely receive from your doctor is with an antiviral medication This medication is sometimes used with steroids to relieve your pain and help you to get better faster. There is no shingles cure, but you can get treatment to make it much less painful and prevent other problems from occurring with the illness. The doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, creams for your skin and pain medication as a treatment for your shingles symptoms.

shingles-vaccination

Taking care of the sores and rash at home is one of the most important things that you can do on your own for your shingles. Some people have found that alternative treatments can help to alleviate some of the pain of this condition. Acupuncture has been used with great success by some people to relieve the pain of shingles. Electrical nerve stimulation otherwise known as TENS and Biofeedback are some of the other treatments that have been used to treat shingles and postherpetic neuralgia which is a complication of the condition.

It is important that you seek medical treatment at the first sign of shingles to prevent complications from arising and to get started on your treatment plan. Explore all of the alternative treatments for shingles and the complications and don’t forget to take care of the rash while you have shingles. Remember that you are contagious to those who have not had the chickenpox and you should be careful to not infect anyone particularly pregnant women who may not have had chickenpox.

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The Low-down on Shingles

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Here is an absolutely wonderful article that we came across which goes into very great detail about such things as the symptoms of shingles, treatment of shingles, how contagious shingles are, etc. We thought it would be an injustice if we didn’t post it here for everyone to enjoy the very knowledgeable and intelligent article. Read and enjoy…

Shingles Natural Treatment – Natural Alternatives to Prescription Drugs and the New Shingles Vaccine
By Dr. Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Virus Basics for Shingles Natural Treatment

All living organisms play host to viruses, even including bacteria. It is a certainty that you will be affected by multiple kinds of viruses throughout your lifetime. The most prevalent human viruses will show up as the common cold, flu, cold sores, chickenpox, and shingles. Less common, and more deadly, viruses are blamed for such diseases as ebola, AIDS, bird flu, SARS, and hepatitis.

Scientists are also suspicious of viruses that are associated with multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, neurological diseases, cancer, and many more. Finding the best natural shingles treatment for you depends on knowing about the basic interactions between you and your virus.

One of those interactions comes from your childhood chickenpox virus when it breaks out into a shingles later in life.

Main Factors That Influence Infections

Your body is one of the main determining factors for whether you will suffer from shingles or any other viral disease. You are exposed to viruses on a daily basis, and most of the time your immune system or other defense mechanisms help you resist infections. Otherwise, you would be sick all of the time.

Another main factor for infection is the type of virus and its response to your defenses. Shingles, for example, is caused by the chickenpox virus that has infected millions of people. Out of all of the people who have had chickenpox, only about 1-3 per thousand healthy individuals under 65 years old will get shingles. This number goes up to as high as 12 per thousand for those older than 65. Such survey data just mean that the vast majority of people who have been exposed to the virus do not develop symptoms, due to the combination of their bodies’ defenses and to the response of the virus to them.

Your best strategies for fighting viral infections must be based on whatever you can do to help your own defenses and whatever you can do to address the behavior of the virus itself. Antiviral prescription drugs have side effects resulting from their suppression of the immune system, which undermines your defenses. The new shingles vaccine, Zostavax, is only approved for people over 60 years old, because clinical experiments focused only on this group. Even so, it is only effective for about half of the people who are injected with it.

Even though Zostavax has been approved in Europe as well as in the U.S., it is not widely used in such places as the U.K. even though it is licensed there. This caution is based on the long-term unknowns, the interactions with other drugs and vaccines (esp. the chickenpox vaccine) and worries about affects on those with already weakened immune systems.

Cautions About Zostavax

Follow-up studies are in progress. The long-term effectiveness and potential complications of Zostavax are unknown At this time it is not recommended for women who are pregnant, people with active untreated tuberculosis, or those with weakened immune systems. It is also not recommended for anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or to the antibiotic neomycin, which are components of the vaccine formula.

Focus on Herpes Viruses

The chickenpox and shingles virus is known scientifically as Herpes zoster (or Varicella zoster), which means it shares many characteristics with all of the members of the herpes family of viruses. The same antiviral drugs are prescribed for shingles, cold sores, genital herpes, and Kaposi’s sarcoma because they are all herpes viruses.

Herpes viruses target the same kinds of tissues (skin and nerve), although in different parts of the body. They also have the same basic appearance and genetic composition and respond to drugs and natural treatments the same way. This just means that a successful remedy against one type of herpes infection has a good chance of being successful against other types.

Natural Antivirals for Shingles Treatment

Scientific literature over the past century reveals thousands of plant natural products that have antiviral activity. This is to be expected, since plants have their own viruses to deal with. Nevertheless, plant viruses and human viruses have much in common, so hundreds of the antivirals that plants make in their own defense also inhibit human viruses.

Most of the research-level results are not practical at this time because the majority of antiviral plant compounds are not yet available in herbal formulas. However, a few herbs that show positive clinical results against shingles have been available for several years.

The classic herb against shingles is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), which produces an oil that has anti-herpes activity for topical use as well as for internal use. It is an ingredient in several formulas, sometimes by itself and often with other oil-producing herbs. Recent research in cell cultures shows that lemon balm can overcome herpes infection in cells that have become resistant to prescription antiviral drugs.

The newest herb, and maybe the best one, against herpes is the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). It is also available in a lotion for topical application as well as in a capsule for internal use. The active ingredients in the creosote bush have general activity against several types of herpes infections as well as activity against HIV and several other types of viruses. This herb is definitely a rising star in the realm of antivirals from plants.

What About Shingles Pain?

The pain of a rash, which can sometimes last weeks or months after an outbreak has already subsided (i.e., “post-herpetic neuralgia”), responds very well to a paste of red pepper powder or to creams containing its main active ingredient, capsaicin. Capsaicin is well-known for blocking pain signals between nerves just under the skin. The only drawback to applying capsaicin-containing formulas is that it makes the burning sensation worse if the skin has been broken or is still has open blisters.

Medical researchers are finding out a lot about capsaicin vs. shingles pain. More than 70 research articles have appeared on this topic since 2002 in PubMed, the U.S. government’s medical database.

Dr. Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

http://naturalshinglestreatment.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Dennis_Clark,_Ph.D.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Shingles-Natural-Treatment—Natural-Alternatives-to-Prescription-Drugs-and-the-New-Shingles-Vaccine&id=1729562

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