Health Facts about Shingles

Varicella Zoster Virus

 

What causes shingles?  Varicella Zoster, the virus that causes shingles infection, is the same virus that causes chicken pox. This is a different strain than the herpes simplex virus.  When a person initially gets chickenpox, that's called varicella zoster.  When the virus reactivates in the same person at a later date, it is called shingles, or

herpes zoster. 

 

Effective natural remedy for shingles

 

Shingles during pregnancy:  Contracting chickenpox, herpes simplex virus or shingles during pregnancy is a special concern because the expectant mother may have a greater chance of developing pneumonia and the unborn child is also at risk.

 

Shingles and Vision:  Shingles can affect the eyes as well, even to the point of scarring the surface of the eye.  Shingles can run along the nerves of the face and into the eye area, causing infection there.  Another way one could contract shingles of the eye is by touching an active outbreak of shingles elsewhere on the body and then rubbing their eyes.  Hygiene whenever dealing with an outbreak is vital, both for shingles and herpes simplex virus, to prevent the virus from entering the eyes.

 

Shingles and Age:  The Shingles disease most often afflicts the elderly, but shingles can also occasionally occur in younger people and in those who are immunodeficient, particularly if they are under a lot of stress.

 

Shingles and Organ Transplants:  Organ transplant recipients are also vulnerable to shingles disease due to the drugs they are given, which suppress the immune system. Anyone with an organ transplant who developed shingles, or who had previously had shingles outbreaks, should notify their doctor immediately.

 

Shingles Symptoms:  A shingles attack usually starts tingling, itching or a stabbing pain on the skin. After a few days, a rash appears as a band or patch of raised dots on the side of the upper part of the body or along the nerve pathways on the face. The rash turns into small, blisters filled with a clear fluid. The blisters will begin to dry out and crust over within several days.

 

When the shingles rash is at its peak, symptoms can vary greatly, from individual to individual. Some experience only mild itching at the shingles outbreak site while other suffer from very excruciating, intense pain.

 

A shingles diagnosis can be readily made by your doctor but a characteristic pattern in the elderly is a blistery rash that goes around the side and back, like a band.

 

Is shingles contagious? Yes, like herpes simplex virus, the varicella zoster virus is also contagious but, just as with herpes,  it is not contagious in the same way that an airborn virus would be contagious. Shingles can be spread by direct contact with the infected area during a shingles

outbreak. 

 

How is shingles treated?  The common approach is to use antiviral drugs.  Though antiviral medications such as acyclovir, valcyclovir, or famcyclovir are most often prescribed to treat shingles and herpes outbreaks but they do have some potential side effects that you should ask about if your doctor prescribes them. Antiviral drugs may also help reduce the painful after-effects of shingles known as postherpetic neuralgia.

 

Are there any natural shingles remedies?  Yes.  Additionally, in recent years, some attention has focused on the antiviral qualities of therapeutic essential oils in stopping shingles outbreaks and herpes outbreaks.  Obviously,  the oils cannot be used in the eye area but there are many who use them for other outbreak sites.  get more information on the studies on essential oils and shingles here

 

The use of natural shingles remedies has not been evaluated by the FDA.