What Are Medications For Shingles
Antiviral medications like acyclovir , valacyclovir , or famciclovir can reduce the severity and duration of the rash if started within 72 hours of the development of the skin rash, and pain medications like acetaminophen , ibuprofen , and naproxen , and even narcoticpain-control medications may be useful in symptom control. In addition to medications, many people find that home care remedies can also provide relief for the pain of shingles.
Use Natural Pain Relief
The products that contain capsaicin-an extract from pepper, can be used to relieve the level of pain caused by shingles.
To apply this remedy, just simple buy some creams that contain capsaicin, they are available in many drugstores. Basing on the directions of the product, apply it to the painful areas. Remember that you should not overuse this remedy because they can cause unexpected results.
Natural shingles relief may not help remove shingles completely but they can be very strong in reducing the level of pain that you are experiencing.
Simple home remedies for shingles may help prevent the progression of the disease. However, if the disease does not decrease after 2 days, you should see a doctor to get the best advices in the treatment for shingles.
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The Whole Scoop Is Here: The Best Natural Remedies For Shingles
It happened again. Ive told you about this before: Im convinced that at times God allows me to get some weird stuff just so I can research it and then pass along what Ive learned to all of you, my beloved reader friends. And I do love you guys and all, but this is getting a bit ridiculous! Besides the below issues, Im pretty darn healthy and feel great every day! But each of these experiences have taught me a lot about natural remedies that will help you get better without causing a bunch of new problems in the process, as most drugs will. And those conventional fixes dont really get you better anyway, they just put on a little bandaid and later when its ripped off again, youre usually worse off than where you started.
God knows that I love helping all of you get better, stay healthy, etc., but we really have had some odd maladies hit our home, and even some scary issues like
- there youll read how I was hit over the head with the fact that the CDC, the drug companies, and doctors offices really dont know what theyre DOING, and these are our KIDS.
- There are a lot more natural remedies that others have shared on my site, too, covering just about everything you could think of! Go here to see the whole list of natural remedies.
Also Check: What Do They Give You For Shingles
Should A Mother With Shingles Continue To Breastfeed
Maybe. If a mother has active shingles infection, she can continue to breastfeed if she does not have skin lesions on her breast. If a lesion develops on or near the areola, where the infants mouth would touch the lesion while nursing, then the mother needs to express her milk on that side to maintain her milk supply and prevent mastitis. She can discard that milk until the infant can resume nursing directly at that breast. She may need access to a hospital-grade pump and additional lactation support to maintain her milk supply and reduce the possibility of developing a breast infection.
Before expressing breast milk, mothers should wash their hands well with soap and water and, if using a pump, follow recommendations for proper cleaning. Breastfeeding can continue on the unaffected breast during this time. All lesions should be covered with clean, dry bandages until they are healed to avoid direct contact with an infant. Mothers need to be vigilant about hand washing until all lesions are fully crusted over.
Immunocompromised mothers who develop an active shingles infection can seek consultation from a specialist on how or if to proceed with breastfeeding. If the infant comes into direct contact with the shingles lesions, consultation with a pediatric specialist is recommended and Varicella-Zoster Immune Globulin may be considered.
Break Up Ice Dams With A Mallet
Using a mallet to break up an ice dam may seem inexpensive, but if you are not comfortable standing on your roof when the weather is nice, you will not want to be on it when the roof is covered with ice and snow. Using a mallet or any other heavy object to break up the ice will require you to get on the roof, or at least lean a ladder against the gutter while you swing away at the ice. The mallet is heavy and may cause you to get off balance and fall. The other danger is breaking through the ice dam with such force that the mallet damages your roof. Neither option is desirable. Its best to hire a professional instead of attempting it yourself.
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These Home Remedies Should Provide Relief During A Case Of Shingles
The editors at Health are a dedicated team of experienced health editors, writers, and other media professionals who strive to bring trustworthy and responsible health and medical content to their readers. As a team, we have decades of experience in health journalism and have worked at legacy publishers and some of the biggest news and media companies in the U.S.
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:
Install Roof Deicing System
A professionally-installed roof and gutter deicing system is the best method to prevent ice dams, while keeping your home and family protected from the dangers associated with removing them.
What It Is
A roof and gutter deicing system is composed of heat cables and temperature sensing devices that work together to keep the area above the eaves, as well as the gutters and downspouts from freezing.
How It Works
Self-regulating heat cables melt the snow and ice as it makes contact with the shingles. The sensing device is constantly activated and adjusts the amount of heat developed in the system as the temperature changes. The heat cables run along the eaves of the roof, above the shingles, and through the gutters and downspouts, ensuring that the areas most vulnerable to freezing are kept open and the water flows away from the home or business.
Cost
The cost will vary with the size of the home, but an average size home can choose between two basic options a constant temperature system or a self-regulating system.
The constant temperature model costs less, since it will keep a steady temperature throughout the season, but you will lose the advantage of saving energy when it is not needed. This configuration would start between $400 and $500. The self-regulating system will use more precise sensing equipment that will maintain the heat as needed depending upon the weather. These systems will start at about $2,500.
Recommended Reading: What Are The Symptoms Of Shingles
Using Apple Cider Vinegar For Shingles
Several home remedy recipes online for relieving shingles pain using ACV can be found online.
Some popular options include applying ACV directly to the shingles rash, usually in combination with other ingredients like honey, or taking a bath that contains a small amount of ACV in the bathwater.
Reportedly, ACV can help relieve some of the painful stinging and itching of the shingles rash, as well as potentially help cleanse the rash and kill Herpes zoster, the virus that causes it.
Although some evidence suggests that ACV is antiviral, theres no proof that it can help kill Herpes zoster by applying it to your skin .
Additionally, theres no scientific evidence that ACV applied topically helps relieve pain or itching. However, this doesnt mean that it wont work for you.
Summary
ACV is sometimes used as a home remedy for pain caused by the shingles rash. Although it may work for some people, theres no scientific evidence to support its use.
How I Avoided Shingles Horror
Let me tell you how Julissa Clays program achieves what it does and youll see for yourself.
Youre possibly aware that shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
Remember chickenpox? The varicella-zoster virus has been with you since you got rid of that illness which was possible decades ago.
Our immune systems beat and then suppress the virus so that it no longer harms us. However, the virus still lies dormant in our nerve cells. Our immune system keeps it in check so that it does us no further harm.
However, if the immune system falters the varicella-zoster virus reactivates. And shingles are the result.
Most people had chickenpox when they were young. They, therefore, carry the varicella-zoster virus. Many never go on to get shingles. Their immune system wins out and varicella-zoster remains dormant for life, never getting the chance to resurface.
Many others do get the illness. Millions every year, in fact. Im one of those people. You are too. Basically, our immune system fought a losing battle and the virus has run rampant throughout the nervous system.
If youre suffering right now I dont need to describe the consequences of this.
But, as you now realize, its not only the suffering we go through in the first 4 6 weeks that causes problems. The mix of a weakened immune system and a system-wide attack on nerves is very dangerous.
Shingles lead to complications with intensely painful PHN its most common complication.
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Can You Swim With Chickenpox
Chickenpox is also caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes itchy blisters and is most common in younger kids.
Since the same virus is responsible for both shingles and chickenpox, should you follow similar rules when it comes to swimming? The answer is yes however, you should be taking even more precautions.
Unlike shingles, which is contagious only through direct contact with the blisters, chickenpox easily spreads through the respiratory tract. In fact, if you have chickenpox, up to 90 percent of the people close to you who are not immune will also contract the virus.
This means that you should avoid contact with all people, if possible, but especially with those who havent had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine.
Once all of your blisters have dried out and crusted, its OK to resume swimming.
Why Not Take The Shingles Medicines From Your Doctor
My favorite homeopath, Joette Calabrese, is convinced that shingles and MOST other health issues are milder and do not recur when you dont use the conventional meds. Those are what makes it more intense or what causes it to last for a year for some people!
You have shingles> your doc gives you an antiviral medicine.
You have asthma> he puts you on an inhaler.
You have eczema> you go on steroids.
You have anxiety> he puts you on the meds and now youre STUCK.
Now youll get everything worse and itll last longer!
Often, homeopathy can work in spite of allopathic drugs, but not so well when it comes to shingles. It is my experience that if drugs are begun, homeopathys ability to clear the case is hampered.
Im convinced I had such a mild case because I didnt take any shingles medications.
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Yes Rock Salt Is Bad For Your Roof Choose Warmup Instead
Rock salt will do more harm than good on your roof, so it should be eliminated as an option for deicing your home. The sensible solution is to have a system developed by engineers to perform the task required, while you relax comfortably in your warm home.
Saving a few dollars by attempting to use home remedies will never pay you back for the time spent deicing by hand, or the danger you may place yourself in by climbing on the roof. Warmup has been designing electrical heating systems for underfloor, roof, and driveway applications for 25 years, and has systems operating in 70 countries.
Can I Take My Baby Swimming
Babies can go into water from birth. However, they cant regulate their temperature like adults, so its very important to make sure they dont get too cold. Babies can also pick up an infection from water. Therefore, its generally best to wait until your baby is around 2 months old before you take them swimming.
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What Specialists Treat Shingles
Primary care physicians, including internal medicine specialists, family medicine specialists and/or specialists in infectious diseases, can appropriately treat some patients. An emergency medicine physician may start the initial care. However, if there is a chance the eye may be involved, an ophthalmologist should be consulted. If a person is pregnant and gets shingles, they should consult with their ob-gyn physician immediately. For long-term or chronic pain involved in postherpetic neuralgia, a neurologist and/or pain specialists may be involved in the care of the patient.
Best Natural Remedies For Shingles Everything I Used Myself Is Spelled Out Here
Thankfully my case was mild and fairly short too, only about 2-3 weeks from start to end. However I know that for some, it can be a long and very painful ordeal. Hopefully some of these suggestions help you!
- Take this remedy at the very first sign of shingles here are the symptoms to look for:
- The first symptom of shingles is usually pain on one side of the body. There may be itching, numbness, tingling, burning, a constant ache, or zingers as I called them a shooting nerve pain. This is really bad in some cases. I didnt have the nerve pain at first, just an ache that felt better if I moved, which is why I knew to start with that remedy, but it turns out it was a good choice for shingles and Joette said she thinks thats why I had such a mild case, because its what I took right away!
- Typically, 1-3 days after the pain starts, a rash with raised, red bumps and blisters shows up on the skin in a similar areas to where the pain was, often near the waistline. They can become pus-filled, just like with chicken pox, then form scabs in less than 2 weeks and disappears within another week or so. These could cause scarring, more on this below.
- Sometimes: Fever and chills, headache, upset stomach or abdominal pain.
Best Natural Remedies for Shingles more homeopathics that may help:
Also Check: How Long Should Shingles Pain Last
When Should I See My Doctor
See your doctor as soon as possible if you are experiencing any symptoms of shingles. Starting treatment with antiviral medicines within 3 days of the rash appearing should reduce the severity of symptoms and the risk of further complications, including post-herpetic neuralgia.
See your doctor straight away if you have symptoms of shingles and are experiencing the following:
- symptoms that affect your eye area
- a temperature of 38°C or higher
You should also see your doctor if you are pregnant, or have a weakened immune system due to medicine that suppresses the immune system, or a condition that weakens your immune system.
Will Epsom Salt Help With Shingles
Question posted by charlesealy on 14 Sep 2009
Last updated on 24 September 2009 by suzanne66
suzanne66
Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox.See for information on various treatment options.
Epsom salts added to the bath would be of questionable value.
+0
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How Is Shingles Treated
There is no cure for shingles, but antiviral medicine may relieve the symptoms and help prevent complications. See your doctor for a prescription of antiviral medicines as soon as possible after symptoms develop. Treatment should be started within 3 days of the shingles rash appearing.
If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about whether antivirals are right for you.
Over-the counter medicines, such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, can be used for pain relief. If over-the-counter medicines are not controlling your pain, your doctor may prescribe other medicines.
There are several things you can do to help manage the condition. They include the following.
Can You Swim In A Lake Or Other Body Of Water With Shingles
What about lakes or other bodies of water?
If you cant ensure you will be alone, you shouldnt go swimming. Whether you want to take a swim in fresh or salt water, remember that neither will protect other people from the virus.
In fact, its best to stay away from the beach entirely while you have blisters.
Make sure to take extra precautions when youre around people who havent had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it. Even one uncovered blister can spread the virus.
Stay away from the beach or other places where you cant keep your rash covered.
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