Being a virus, there is no absolute cure for shingles, but there are shingles natural cure remedies that help treat discomfort and promote healing. Shingles (also known as Herpes Zoster) is an infection caused by the same virus as chickenpox, varicella-zoster. It is characterized by intense pain and is typically accompanied by a distinct and bright red patch of blisters along one side of the body. Signs and symptoms of shingles also often include itching, headache, sensitivity to light, fatigue, and a high fever. Once the infection manifests, shingles can last between two and six weeks. If you had chickenpox as a child, the varicella-zoster virus is already in your system, lying dormant. Shingles results when the virus reactivates and moves through nerve pathways to the skin.
Shingles most often occur in people over the age of 60, but children can get it also. The risk increases the older you are.
Benefits of a Shingles Natural Cure
The goal of shingles treatment is to speed healing and reduce the symptoms of shingles, like pain, itching, rash, and the blisters and sores associated with the infection. Managing pain right away may help reduce the potential for nerve damage, which can result in chronic pain that lasts for months or even years. While faster healing time is beneficial to the patient, it’s also beneficial to others, as the varicella-zoster virus can spread to anyone not immune to chickenpox through direct contact with open shingles sores.
Consulting your physician is important to properly diagnose shingles, particularly when the rash is present near the eyes, which can cause long-term damage. There are a variety of methods to achieve shingles natural cure that you can conduct at home to help relieve the discomfort that comes with the virus.
Avoid Irritation
Do not pick or scratch at blisters that may come with shingles. Open sores, in addition to becoming highly contagious once broken, can also result in scarring, which is why it’s recommended to avoid rough contact with shingles sore as much as possible. If left alone, shingles blisters will typically develop a crust or scab and then will shed naturally.
The Benefits of Baths
It’s imperative to make sure inflamed skin afflicted by shingles is cleaned regularly and well, which is why bathing and soaking is a commonly recommended method to clean and also soothe irritation. There are a few different types of baths you can try. Taking a bath in cool water can help ease discomfort and pain. Make sure water is not too cold, as this can cause a reaction and more pain. Another type of bath that can help soothe pain and discomfort is called a healing bath, which typically involves a mixture of starch or oatmeal. Any healing bath should be lukewarm but not hot, as hot water, similar to cold water, can cause further irritation and amplify a shingles rash.
After soaking, be sure to dry skin completely by dabbing. Avoid wiping blistered skin, as this motion can further irritate the rash and even break open sores. Make sure to wash, with the hottest water possible, any towels or clothing that come into direct contact with someone with shingles.
Additionally, a cool, wet compress against any external rash or blisters can yield similar results to help relieve the irritation of shingles. Avoid ice packs or extreme temperatures, and again, wash any towels used with the hottest water possible.
Lotions and Topicals
Anti-itching lotions that soothe the skin can be applied after a bath or a wet compress, and after drying the skin completely. However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all lotions will promote healing, and in fact, any scented lotions can cause additional irritation.
Natural remedies for shingles can help clean crusts from blisters. They can also prevent oozing, promote drying of blisters, and help smooth skin. In addition to over the counter natural products, household items like cornstarch or baking soda can also be administered directly to shingles sores, which can promote drying and make this painful infection easier to tolerate.
Nonprescription medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can reduce pain and fever associated with shingles.
Contain the Virus After Care
As the varicella-zoster virus can easily spread, it’s important to always wash any materials used while caring for someone affected by shingles, especially if there is a rash with sores and blisters that transmit the disease. This includes but is not limited to towels, compresses, sheets, and hands.
The Stress Effect
Stress has heightened impacts on the body and mind and can therefore impact the immune system. In addition to natural remedies for shingles, it’s also widely recommended to decrease as much daily stress as possible. Typical avenues to help reduce chronic stress include:
- Regular physical activity
- Relaxation techniques including meditation, yoga, massage, or deep breathing
- Socializing with loved ones
- Making time for leisure activities
Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is also known to reduce physical and mental stress.
When to Seek Help
While shingles are not life-threatening, it can cause serious complications. We recommend seeing a doctor for shingles. Possible complications from shingles include:
- Skin infections, which can occur when broken shingles sores are not cared for properly.
- Vision loss due to shingles in and or around the eye, which can cause additional infection and permanent impairment.
- Neurological damage can result from shingles, which may include inflammation in the brain, hearing and balance issues, and in some cases facial paralysis.
- Post-herpetic neuralgia, which happens when nerve fibers are damaged from shingles after sores have healed and sent inaccurate and exaggerated pain signals from the skin to the brain.
If you are diagnosed with shingles, it’s important to discuss your options and determine with your physician which treatments are best for you. Shingle’s natural cures can be beneficial alone or in concert with prescribed medication. In terms of high-quality natural remedies for shingles, we suggest Naturasil shingles treatment, a natural homeopathic formula made of plant extracts and without harsh chemicals. Naturasil works to reduce or eliminate the symptoms associated with shingles and to aid your body in fighting against potential repeat outbreaks.
Additional Reading:
Recurring Shingles – About 4% of those with shingles have it reoccur. Diagnosis, prognosis, causes, treatment.
Shingles and Pregnancy – Dangers, risks, and prevalence of developing shingles when pregnant. How shingles spread, when it is contagious.
What do Shingles Look Like – Additional pictures of shingles on different parts of the body.
Shingles Medicine – Comparison of treatment options including prescription drugs, over the counter solutions, and natural remedies.
Ref: CDC