Shingles Signs And Symptoms
Early symptoms: The initial symptoms of Shingles before the rash develops include fever and feeling of weakness. There may be a feeling of pain, burning and tingling sensation over the affected area.
Skin Rash: Skin Rash in shingles appears as pink or red blotchy patches which appear in the form of a band over one side of the trunk along the nerve pathway. The person can also feel shooting type of pain in the area of the rash. At this stage, shingles are not contagious.
Blisters: Blisters are a cluster of fluid-filled eruptions that appear after the rash. They appear as a band over one side of the trunk, and can also develop over one side of forehead or eye. Blisters continue to grow for many days.
Am I At Risk For Shingles
Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for developing shingles. Researchers do not fully understand what makes the virus become active and cause shingles. But some things make it more likely:
- Older age. The risk of developing shingles increases as you age. About half of all shingles cases are in adults age 60 or older. The chance of getting shingles becomes much greater by age 70.
- Trouble fighting infections. Your immune system is the part of your body that responds to infections. Age can affect your immune system. So can HIV, cancer, cancer treatments, too much sun, and organ transplant drugs. Even stress or a cold can weaken your immune system for a short time. These all can put you at risk for shingles.
Most people only have shingles one time. However, it is possible to have it more than once.
Is There A Cure For Shingles
There is no known vaccine to treat people infected with shingles. However, there is a live zoster vaccine to help prevent shingles. The live zoster vaccine, which is being marketed under the name Zostavax was approved in the year 2006 by the U.S Food and Drug Administration.
The vaccine is recommended for both young adults and elderly people below the age of 60 years and is supposed to be administered whether a person has been infected by shingles before or not.
In several clinical trials and study cases, the vaccine has been found to reduce the chances of shingles infection by half, especially in reducing the risks of postherpetic pain that ceases to go away after shingles has disappeared.
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Difference Between Shingles And Herpes
Herpes Zoster and herpes simplex are two different diseases caused by a virus. The only similarity is that the family of Herpes virus causes both these diseases.Varicella-zoster virus causes shingles or herpes zoster through direct contact with the infected person. Herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus . HSV 1 is transmitted through oral contact via saliva, surface in and around the mouth and can also be spread by oro-genital contact. HSV 2 is transmitted through sexual contact.Blisters in Herpes are red and painful around the mouth, genitals, and thighs. Infected women can experience vaginal discharges as well.
In Shingles, blisters appear in clusters and are fluid-filled and usually occur on one side of trunk, eye, face like a band and never cross the midline.In one condition called zosteriform herpes simplex, the rash looks similar to Shingles rash and is difficult to differentiate visually. The Tzanck smear is used to diagnose acute infection in herpes but cannot distinguish between VZV and HSV.
Risk Factors For Shingles
Shingles can develop in anyone who had chickenpox, but there are certain risk factors that may increase your chances.
Risk factors of shingles include :
- Being age 60 or older
- Having had chemotherapy or radiation treatment
- Taking medications that weaken your immune system, including steroids, immunosuppressants, and medications given after an organ transplant
- Having any health conditions that weaken your immune system, including HIV/AIDS and cancer
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Foods To Avoid For Faster Healing
Sugar Decreases white blood cells that help fight off infection.Fruit juices Although orange juice contains some vitamin C, it is not as high in vitamin C as whole fruits or vegetables.Caffeine Depletes the body of hydration, so avoid it.Carbonated beverages These beverages promote a more acidic system, so try to limit them during the acute illness.Fried foods Promotes an acidic environment, so best to avoid these foods.
Clean Your Shingles Rash And Blisters With Soap And Water Once Or Twice A Day
Use lukewarm or comfortably cool water and an antibacterial soap with drying action to gently wash the infected area. Take care not to scrub vigorously or spread the infection to other parts of your body. After washing, gently rinse your shingles rash and allow it to airdry for faster healing, dont bandage a shingles rash.
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Natural Remedies For Shingles Pain
Soaking in a comfortably cool oatmeal bath can relieve symptom of shingles. Cool bath water can relieve the itching of your rash, and uncooked oatmeal, colloidal outmeal , or even baking soda will sooth your skin even more. You can get .
Add vinegar to a cool water compress for additional shingles relief. You only need to add a little bit of vinegar to a cool compress for more itching and burning relief.
Relax!
Natural Ways To Treat Shingles
If you have a case of the shingles, read on to find out what you can do to treat the pain.
1. Soothe Your Skin To promote healing , add a few drops of rose, lavender, bergamot or tea tree oil to your warm bath. Mix them in a carrier oil, such as vegetable oil first.
2. Numb the Pain Calendula lotion or ointment applied to blisters several times a day eases pain. Or apply a paste made of two crushed aspirin tablets and two tablespoons rubbing alcohol three times a day to soothe throbbing nerve endings.
3. Visit the Pharmacist for Help Ask your pharmacist to prepare a mixture with 75 per cent calamine, 20 per cent rubbing alcohol, and one per cent each phenol and menthol. You may want to call ahead so the pharmacy can ensure to have these ingredients in stock. Apply to blisters continuously until youre healed. Other itching remedies include vitamin E oil or aloe vera gel.
4. Apply Cold Packs Apply ice packs for 10 minutes at a time to affected areas. Keep them off for at least five minutes between applications.
5. Try a Compress Compresses containing aluminium acetate solution, available over the counter in pharmacies, can help relieve the itching.
6. Avoid Irritating Blisters To keep your clothes from rubbing against your blisters, dust yourself with colloidal oatmeal powder.
7. Try a Natural Method Applying a cream containing capsaicin three or four times a day has reduced pain for many sufferers after a couple of weeks of use.
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Skin Care And Itch Relief For Shingles
To relieve itching and discomfort, try:
- A cool, wet compresses on the affected skin
- Soothing baths and lotions, such as colloidal oatmeal bath, starch baths, or calamine lotion
- Zostrix, a cream that contains capsaicin
- Antihistamines to reduce itching
Keep your skin clean. Throw away bandages you use to cover your skin sores. Throw away or wash in hot water clothing that has contact with your skin sores. Wash your sheets and towels in hot water.
While your skin sores are still open and oozing, avoid all contact with anyone who has never had chickenpox, especially pregnant women.
These Home Remedies Should Provide Relief During A Case Of Shingles
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Anyone who had chickenpox as a kid remembers the red, painfully itchy blister-like rash, and perhaps the fever and fatigue that came along with it. But even though it’s true you’re now inoculated against chickenpox for life, there’s one pox-related complication you may not have considered: Shingles.
Shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus , and causes a painful, itchy rash in one place on the body. Shingles is most common in adults over 50 years of age in fact, about half of people over age 80 may experience it.
Shingles often begin as pain and itching in the skin before a red rash appears one to two days later, with small, water-filled blisters. These blisters soon rupture and scar over, healing and fading over the course of a few weeks. This process can be extremely uncomfortable and painful, making even the littlest actions difficult.
Here’s how to minimize discomfort and pain with stuff you probably already have at home:
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How To Get Rid Of Shingles
Shingles are another of those nasty herpes infections spoken of in hushed tones in doctors offices and bathrooms everywhere. Painful and unsightly , shingles are a nasty adult-onset result of the same virus that causes chicken pox in kids. The fastest way to get rid of shingles is get yourself to a doctor as soon as you experience symptoms, and use the natural and home treatments below to relieve your symptoms until they go away for good.
Preventing Nerve Pain After Shingles
But if you’re worried about PHN, don’t despair. There are medications that can cut your risks of getting the condition. There are three antiviral drugs used: famciclovir , valacyclovir , and acyclovir . These medications need to be started within two to three days of the onset of shingles.
“If you look at the clinical trials with any of these drugs in people over 50,” says Dworkin, “they cut the rate of pain at six months in half. That’s a very significant improvement.” They are also very safe and have few side effects, he says.
But who needs the drugs? Dworkin says there’s not a clear consensus yet.
There are some obvious cases. “I think everyone would agree that someone who is over 50 and has severe symptoms should get preventative treatment,” he tells WebMD.
But for younger people or those with fewer risk factors, the course is less clear.
“Some people think that everyone who gets shingles should get preventative treatment with antiviral medicines, because the medicines are so safe and have such few side effects,” he says.
Others argue that preventative treatment should only be given to those at greater risk. The main reason for this, Dworkin says, is cost.
“A full course of treatment could cost anywhere between $100 and $160,” he says. “That can add up, and insurance companies might not want to pay if the risks are very, very low.”
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The Shingles Vaccine: Are You Eligible
There’s some evidence that shingles is more likely if you’re run down. So it makes sense to try to look after yourself – a healthy diet, regular exercise and enough sleep can all boost your immune system. But the most effective way to protect yourself from shingles is with a vaccination, where a single dose provides protection.
How To Protect Yourself From Shingles
There are hundreds of viruses out there. Lots of them cause rashes, especially in children. But shingles is easy to spot – it only affects a strip on one side of your body and stops precisely in the midline at the front and back. About 1 in 4 people will know all about the symptoms at some point in their lives, because they’ll develop them – but how do you protect yourself if you’ve never had shingles?
Reviewed byDr Colin Tidy
02-Apr-19·5 mins read
Usually with diseases caused by viruses, you’re exposed to the virus and you develop symptoms a few days later. Shingles is a bit different.
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How Long Does Shingles Last
Most cases of shingles last three to five weeks.
- The first sign is often burning or tingling pain sometimes it includes numbness or itching on one side of the body.
- Somewhere between one and five days after the tingling or burning feeling on the skin, a red rash will appear.
- A few days later, the rash will turn into fluid-filled blisters.
- About one week to 10 days after that, the blisters dry up and crust over.
- A couple of weeks later, the scabs clear up.
How Is Shingles Diagnosed And Treated
If you think you might have shingles, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Its important to see your doctor no later than three days after the rash starts. The doctor will confirm whether you have shingles and can make a treatment plan. Most cases can be diagnosed from a visual examination. If you have a condition that weakens the immune system, your doctor may order a shingles test. Although there is no cure for shingles, early treatment with antiviral medications can help the blisters clear up faster and limit severe pain. Shingles can often be treated at home.
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Can Eye Shingles Cause Blindness
Even with proper treatment, some eye shingles patients still develop eye disorders such as corneal scarring, glaucoma or retinal disease.
For example, eye shingles can cause:
-
A corneal dendrite which may lead to a scar
In the most severe cases of eye shingles, a patient may need a corneal transplant.
Eye shingles is not contagious. It cannot be spread to another person.
However, a person who has shingles-related rash anywhere on their body can transmit chickenpox virus to someone who hasn’t already had chickenpox or been vaccinated for the condition.
Dab Calendula Oil To Ease Itching And Promote Healing
Calendula or marigold is known for its healing properties. Homeopathy recommends the use of calendula oil or gel to relieve itching and encourage healing of blisters caused by chickenpox and shingles.8 Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to quicken wound healing as well as improve the texture of skin. Flavonoids present in this herb are thought to be responsible for this effect.9
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Common Symptom Of Shingles
The most common symptom of shingles is red, itchy, and painful rashes, which are smallpox marks that often occur on the buttocks, lower back, neck, cheeks, trunk, or face. It can also spread to anywhere on your body.
The rashes come in patches, and this makes the rashes highly noticeable. When the rashes develop into blisters filled with fluid, you may feel extremely itchy and painful. The rashes may disappear completely within 5-6 weeks. Other common symptoms include fatigue, body pain, fever, headaches, dizziness, and sensitivity to light.
Risk Factors For Nerve Pain After Shingles
Researchers have long known that older people are more likely to get PHN, the nerve pain after shingles, but recent studies have found other factors that increase risks.
In one study published in the journal Neurology, researchers — including Dworkin — looked at data from 965 people with shingles. The researchers identified five risk factors for developing PHN in people who had been recently diagnosed with shingles:
- Presence of symptoms before the rash appeared, like numbness, tingling, itching, or pain
- Severe pain during the illness’s initial stages
Importantly, the researchers found the more risk factors you have, the greater the risk of developing PHN.
For instance, 17% of women with shingles and 26% of those who had severe pain went on to get PHN. But 50% of women who were over age 60 and had symptoms before the rash, severe rash, and acute pain went on to get PHN.
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Aloe Vera And Cayenne Pepper
Aloe Vera has curative antifungal and anti-microbial properties that help to heal the blisters and sores caused due to shingles damage. Cayenne paper, on the other hand, has high contents of a compound called capsaicin, which helps get rid of pains, itching, and inflammation and prevents the infected area from further infections.
To use aloe Vera:
You can also use organic cold-pressed Aloe Vera
Baking Soda And Cornstarch Paste
To relieve that symptoms of a shingles rash or blisters naturally, I also recommend trying a baking soda or cornstarch paste. Add two parts baking soda or cornstarch and one part water into a cup. Mix it well until you achieve the desired consistency.
Apply the paste on your rash and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse it off and dry it well. Repeat it several times a day as you feel its needed. Make sure to use a new towel each time.
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Major Symptoms Of Shingles
The visible symptom of shingles is a rash that is characterized by :
In rare cases, shingles can lead to the following symptoms and complications:
- Rash or pain around the eye, which needs immediate treatment to avoid permanent eye damage
- Loss of hearing, earache, dizziness, or loss of taste, which may be the symptom of Ramsay Hunt syndrome that need immediate medical attention
- Bacterial infections causing redness, warmth, and swelling of the skin