10 Home Remedies For Shingles

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Shingles are an unpleasant condition that can grow to become quite serious. The condition is marked by itchy or painful lesions that can emerge on the abdomen, chest, face, and neck. The first thing a person with shingles will want to do is visit the doctor, since the condition can grow to become immensely painful if it’s not treated. Shingles is not an uncommon condition. About a million people are affected by the condition each year in the United States. A number of things can make a person more susceptible to having an outbreak of shingles, including things like growing old, being traumatized, or living with high levels of stress.

Shingles is actually caused by the herpes varicella zoster virus, which lies dormant in many people. When this virus is reactivated, the result can be shingles, and the symptoms can be painful and quite severe. People who have had chicken pox at some point in their lives will have the disease lying dormant in their bodies. In addition to the painful rashes and blisters that people with shingles may experience, other symptoms can include a fever, being highly sensitive to light, and fatigue or lethargy. The condition tends to last somewhere between 2 and 6 weeks.

While the condition doesn’t generally cause the risk of death, some people who experience a very serious degree of shingles may damage some of their nerves. This can lead to symptoms of the condition persisting for months. Shingles should not be handled with home remedies alone. However, many of these remedies can be useful for managing symptoms and improving upon the efficacy of traditional medicine as prescribed by your doctor.

Home Remedy #1: Hygiene

One of the best ways to help prevent your shingles from getting worse is to make sure that you keep the area clean. One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a cooling bath or a gentle shower. Water of a low temperature will help to reduce the discomfort associated with the lesions and will help to prevent the spread of the infection.

Washing with antiviral soap can also help to prevent the spread of the infection. Look for soaps made with tea tree oil or other antiviral essential oils. Try to avoid showering with hot water because this will aggravate the symptoms by enhancing blood flow to the area.