Vitamin D Supplements Boost Immunity In The Elderly
Immune responses and inflammation improve in older adults who take supplements, study shows.
Elderly individuals who are vitamin D deficient can significantly improve their immunity to the virus that causes shingles by taking supplements, a study has shown.
Lack of vitamin D contributes to the loss of immunity observed with age, the results suggest.
Supplementation of vitamin D could improve the general health of the elderly by boosting immunity to specific diseases and potentially increasing the efficacy of vaccines, the data suggests.
Findings from the study may explain in part why vitamin D insufficiency is associated with severe cases of Covid-19.
Natural Remedies For Shingles
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. The varicella zoster virus causes this viral infection. Its the same virus that causes chickenpox.
If you had chickenpox as a child, the shingles virus lies dormant in your body. The virus can reactivate later in life and cause a shingles rash. The rash can occur on any part of your body but typically only affects small sections.
Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. The rash and fluid-filled blisters form within a couple of days after the onset of pain. Some people with shingles also have a fever, sensitivity to light, and fatigue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , about 1 in 3 people in the United States will develop shingles at some point in their lifetime.
The shingles virus can last between two and six weeks. Shingles isnt life-threatening, but some people experience postherpetic neuralgia. This is when nerve fibers become damaged, causing shingles pain that lasts for weeks or months after the rash clears.
Theres no cure for shingles, but your doctor can prescribe antiviral medication to help shorten the duration of the virus and reduce symptoms.
Although an antiviral is an effective treatment for shingles, its not the only option. Several natural remedies may also reduce pain and discomfort.
Dry your body completely and then wash your towel to avoid spreading the virus to others.
- orange and yellow fruits
Reverse Shingles With Vitamin C
Simply put, shingles is an acute outbreak of the Herpes zoster virus. For most individuals with shingles, the appearance of the typical painful, blistering skin rash results from a reactivation of the virus from storage sites in nerve cells after an earlier chickenpox infection, often as a child.
While it is unclear precisely what precipitates the reappearance of this virus so many years later, it still responds to properly-dosed vitamin C like any other acute viral syndrome. That is to say, it is completely and rapidly resolved. And, the virus usually ends up completely eradicated from the body.
Vitamin C is a unique anti-viral agent
Vitamin C is a nutrient that augments the immune system of the body in many different ways. There are really no infections of any type that do not respond favorably to the administration of multigram doses of vitamin C. Most acute infections, regardless of the pathogens involved, resolve rapidly and completely, even those for which traditional medicine has nothing significant to offer.
Specifically, acute viral syndromes, such as shingles, always resolve quickly when enough vitamin C is properly administered. It should also be noted that large enough doses of any antioxidant can inactivate a virus, but the ready access that vitamin C has to all tissues in the body makes it especially effective.
But wait! Why doesn t vitamin C work for every viral condition?
Treating shingles with vitamin C today is simple
References:
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Precautions And Possible Complications
Shingles can be contagious to certain people. Someone with shingles can pass the virus on to anyone who is not already immune to chickenpox. Shingles can be passed to these people by direct contact with open shingles blisters. But the interesting thing here is that the person who comes in contact with the rash will not develop shingles, but will develop chicken pox.
Immediate medical attention is especially recommended if you have shingles, as well as any of the following:
- You are 70 years of age or older.
- Rash and pain near the eye because lack of treatment could lead to permanent damage to the eye.
- You have a weakened immune system due to chronic health issues or medication.
- The shingle rash is widespread and painful.
Post-herpetic neuralgia is the most prevalent complication of shingles. PHN is when someone with shingles experiences pain, which can be really severe, in the shingles rash areas after the rash is gone. PHN usually goes away in a few weeks or months, but some people can have it for years. The older the age of a shingles sufferer, the more likely the development and severity of PHN. In extremely rare cases, shingles can also lead to pneumonia, blindness hearing issues, brain inflammation or death.
Final Thoughts
Natural Relief For Chickenpox And Shingles
If your skin is itching, aloe vera gel may be an ideal alternative to calamine lotion. Another way to soothe your skin naturally is to take an oat bath. Put a handful of oats in a muslin bag and either drop the bag/cloth in your bath water or secure it beneath the tap, so that the water runs through it .There are also a few nutritional supplements you could try, including the following:
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Zoster Patients: With Uv 58% Pain Free Without Uv 38% Pain Free
Broad-band ultraviolet B phototherapy in zoster patients may reduce the incidence and severity of postherpetic neuralgia.Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2006 Oct 22:232-7.Jalali MH, Ansarin H, Soltani-Arabshahi R.Department of Dermatology, Hazrat-e Rasool University Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia is one of the common complications of herpes zoster infection, particularly in the elderly. Current therapeutic measures are only partially effective in the affected patients. As inflammatory mediators released by different cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of this neuropathic pain and with regard to the immunomodulatory effects of ultraviolet B spectrum, we presumed that UVB phototherapy might be effective in the prevention of PHN.
RESULTS: A total of 17 patients older than 40 who had intractable pain due to zoster infection received UVB in two phases of the study. In patients who received phototherapy in the first 7 days of rash, 58.33% and 83.33% were completely pain free at 1-and 3-month follow-up, respectively. The corresponding figure in the control group was significantly lower . The severity of pain was also lower in the phototherapy group than the control group . None of the patients who were treated more than 3 months after rash onset experienced significant pain relief.
Stop The Virus Spreading
Meanwhile if you or your child has chickenpox, it’s important to stay away from women who may be pregnant as well as newborn babies and anyone with a weakened immune system. Public Health England recommends that children with chickenpox are kept home from school for five days, though their blisters must have fully crusted over before they return .It’s also a good idea to keep objects and surfaces free from the virus by cleaning them with a sterilising solution to stop the virus spreading to other members of your household. Also wash any bedding and clothes that may be infected with the virus.
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Shingles Causes And Treatments
Shingles arises from the chicken pox virus. It is a member of the herpes virus family but not the same one that causes other herpes infections . Both forms of herpes remain dormant in the nervous system after initial infection and can reactivate following minor infections, stress and weakened immunity. Despite their differences, the nutritional treatments for both are essentially the same.
A tell-tale sign of shingles is a characteristic itching, tingling or pain followed by a skin rash, indicating inflammation and nerves set off by the underlying virus.
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.
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Diet And Lifestyle Tips For Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a complex symptom, and the right treatment varies from person to person.
Diet and lifestyle strategies that may help a person to reduce their symptoms or even prevent neuropathy include:
- Controlling blood glucose levels. A person can manage their levels by eating a balanced diet rich in fiber and low in simple carbohydrates. People with diabetes may need to take medication.
Is Shingles Contagious
Shingles is not contagious and cannot be caught off someone who has an acute case. Shingles can only occur if someone has had chickenpox in the past.
What triggers the chickenpox virus to become active again and cause shingles is not understood. However, it is thought that when the immune system is not functionally optimally the virus can become re-activated.
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What The Research Says
If you eat a balanced diet that includes red meat, fish, and dairy products, you probably consume enough lysine. Its also widely advertised as a dietary supplement. In the body, lysine knocks out another protein building block, or amino acid, called arginine. To boost the effect of lysine, avoid arginine-rich foods such as nuts and seeds.
A large review concluded that L-lysine had no reliable effect on cold sores. In a smaller study that seemed to show an effect, participants took an average of just over 900 milligrams of the supplement daily for six months. At this or even higher levels, L-lysine appears to have no toxic effects.
Whether L-lysine is likely to work on reducing the intensity or duration of shingles symptoms is a separate question.
Theres not a shred of evidence that it works, says Aaron Glatt, MD, chairman of the department of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospital and spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Its probably not dangerous, but I wouldnt tell someone to spend money on it.
If youd like to explore L-lysine as a treatment option for shingles, make an appointment with your doctor. You can discuss whether its the right treatment for you.
Possible side effects include:
Eight Natural Treatments For Shingles
If youve ever had chicken pox, the bad news is that the same virus that gave you those uncomfortable symptoms such as red spots, blisters, fever, and headache as a youngster is still lurking in your body, poised to possibly rear its ugly head sometime later in life in the form of painful shingles. The good news is that shingles are treatable, and some of those treatments are home remedies that can bring you relief and assist you in getting healed.
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Should You Get The Jab
Currently, if you’re aged between 70 and 78, you’re eligible for a vaccine to prevent shingles on the NHS . This is a single injection , and can help prevent the reactivation of the shingles virus or make your symptoms milder and last for a shorter length of time if you do get it. According to the NHS, shingles is fatal for around one person in every 1,000 aged 70 and older – rare complications include pneumonia, hepatitis, encephalitis and meningitis – while for many others it can be very painful and uncomfortable. But even if you’ve already had shingles, you can still get the vaccine, as some people get the virus more than once. You don’t have to do anything, as your GP will invite you to have the vaccine when you’re eligible.
Eight Homes Remedies For Shingles
If you suspect you have shingles, go immediately to see your physician to be properly diagnosed and treated as necessary, perhaps with a prescription medicine or two. This would also be a good time to have a conversation with him or her about home remedies that you can use to alleviate your symptoms and perhaps quicken the healing process.
Following are eight home remedies that involve prevention or treatment to consider in waging war against those nasty shingles, although your physician might know some others as well:
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Strengths And Weakness Of The Study
The major strength of our study was the combination of standard pain scores and the assessment of dermatologic symptoms such as the presence of hemorrhagic vesicles and number of efflorescences in the affected dermatome during the study period. Furthermore, for the first time the combination of standard treatment of herpes zoster infection with supraphysiological-dosed intravenous vitamin C within the treatment phase was documented, and the treatment procedure was comparable to that of previous case studies . The participating physicians were to record the numbers of efflorescences and to evaluate the presence of hemorrhagic vesicles at each visit, together with routine pain assessments . To our knowledge, no study using such a combined assessment of information on dermatological and pain symptoms has been previously published.
The major weakness of our study is the lack of a control group. Furthermore, the low response rate and the low number of patients may have biased the results. Another weakness of the study is that the clinical assessment of the herpes zoster infection without performing confirmatory diagnostic tests might have given rise to study bias, as was reported in other studies .
How Long Do They Last
The chickenpox rash gets very itchy very quickly , then the blisters start to dry out and form scabs after a day or two. For the first three to five days, new spots may appear, so a child with chickenpox will typically have some spots crusting over and some filled with fluid. The scabs should start falling off after one or two weeks, when the rash should gradually disappear. Some marks may be left by the scabs, but in younger children the scabs don’t leave behind any scarring . Discover more on how to manage scars from chickenpox. Shingles, on the other hand, can last longer, with a typical episode dying down after two to four weeks. During the first week new blisters may keep appearing, but after a few days they dry out and crust over.Some people can develop a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia after having shingles, particularly those who are elderly or have a weakened immune system ). The most common complication of shingles, PHN can cause severe nerve pain and itching long after the rash has disappeared, lasting for months or even years ).Chickenpox rarely causes serious complications, but a very small number of children go on to develop encephalitis or meningitis. Babies less than four weeks old are most at risk of developing chickenpox complications, as are pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system .
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Should You See Your Gp
Most cases of chickenpox clear up by themselves so you shouldn’t usually have to see a doctor. But there are a few instances when you should see your GP straight away, including the following:
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If the skin around the blisters becomes red and painful.
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If you develop breathing difficulties or chest pain.
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If you become drowsy or feel very weak.
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If your rash bruises or bleeds into the skin.
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If you have pain or a headache that gets worse despite taking paracetamol.
How About Acupuncture For Shingles
Acupuncture is one of the most effective treatments for pain. My wife Lesley and I are both acupuncturists and we used a lot of it to try and treat this condition. The standard points for shingles are Spleen 10 and Large Intestine 11 . We also did auricular treatment: we bled the apex of the ear, indicated for all inflammatory conditions. This did not show any effect to warrant a repeat attempt.
A heroic procedure recommended by a respected acupuncturist as a gold-standard shingles treatment consisted of whacking the tender recently healed over area where the initial shingle blisters were until it bled profusely. This arduous and painful treatment promised immediate and lasting relief from postherpetic neuralgia. Ive always found that bleeding is the most effective way to immediately resolve inflammation and relieve pain. Fortunately, I took a lot of kratom before and allowed Lesley to perform the treatment. It did not work.
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Shingles Natural Treatment: Foods Supplements & Oils
Shingles natural treatment is a really worthwhile topic, especially when you consider that every year, one million Americans experience a shingles outbreak. In the U.S. alone, one in three people are said to be affected by shingles at some point in his or her lifetime. Shingles are known for causing nerve pain, itching, fever and fluid-filled blisters. A weakened immune system can make shingles more likely to occur and can also make symptoms of shingles worse.
Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox. In fact, shingles occur in approximately 10 percent of people who previously had chickenpox. There is also an age factor with shingles risk. Unfortunately, the older you get the higher your risk of shingles. Roughly half of all shingle cases occur in people who are 50 or older.
Thankfully, there is shingles natural treatment, including foods you should eat to boost your immune system as well as foods you should avoid. Plus there are essential oils for shingles and a variety of options when it comes to natural supplements. Overall, anything you can do to boost your immune system can go a long way both to prevent and naturally treat an unpleasant case of shingles.