Treating Shingles
July 29, 2009
Shingles or herpes zoster is an infection caused by the chicken pox virus, which afflicts the nerve roots. This painful infection is accompanied by rashes.
Shingle generally develops in elderly people and individuals with weak immunity. Shingles develops only in individuals who have suffered from chicken pox earlier in life. After a person recovers from chicken pox, the chicken pox virus is not eliminated from the body, but it remains in a dormant state at the nerve roots.
As our immune system becomes weak with aging, the dormant chicken pox virus might suddenly become active. However, the antibodies present in the body resist recurrence of chicken pox. Hence, chicken pox virus could only manifest itself through shingles. People suffering from shingles should be isolated from people who had never suffered from chicken pox in their life.
Shingles symptoms
The symptoms of shingles appear through different stage. The initial stage of the infection is characterized by headache and sensitivity to light. The infected person might show flu-like symptoms, even though there might not be any significant rise in temperature.
This is followed by itching, burning and localized pain. At the area of the pain, rashes in clusters appear after a few days. These rashes would develop into blisters. Not every person suffering from shingles will get rashes. The severity of rashes varies from person to person.
Rashes appear only on one side of the body. Shingles make a person weak. There may be difficulty in vision. The cognitive ability of the person might slow down.
Shingles home remedies
Shingles patients need to undergo prolonged treatment. Various types of medications, including antivirus, steroids, antidepressants, topical medicines and antidepressants are prescribed for shingles patients. Regular intake of vitamins B12 and C supplements help to cure shingles.
Apply natural vitamin E on the rashes to reduce the discomfort. You can also apply aloe vera on the rashes. The pain and discomfort could also be reduced by applying apple cider vinegar on the rashes.
You can consume blackberry leaf tea, sage tea or chamomile tea regularly to reduce the discomfort. Limit salt intake and increase fluid consumption to quicken the healing process.
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