If you are to get the right treatment for medical shingles, then it is important that you find out first what the disease is all about other than the symptoms. Oftentimes, the myths surrounding medical shingles are the reason why some people may not get the right treatment.

Myth #1: Only old people get shingles.

Medical shingles are found to be more common among old people who haven’t received their chicken pox vaccination or who have not had the chicken pox before. This is only because the elderly often have weaker immune systems due to old age. The truth is that young people can have shingles too. Those who are at the highest risk of getting the disease are those who have had chicken pox in the past and are currently suffering from severe illness or conditions or taking medication that can affect the immune system.

Myth #2: Shingles is not contagious.

Although the really issue is the context of the statement, there has been a lot of debate on this statement. Strictly speaking, you cannot get medical shingles by just being around someone who has it. Those who have medical shingles did not get it from someone else. Having it means the dormant chicken pox virus in your spinal cord has been reactivated due to a weak immune system. People however who have never had chicken pox and have not been vaccinated can get sick of chicken pox if they come in direct contact with a person who has fresh shingles blisters.

Myth #3: It is alright not to get medical treatment for shingles.

Shingles, in fact, can heal over time and disappear on its own after a few weeks. It is not entirely proper however not to apply proper medication on medical shingles. Untreated severe cases of shingles can result in chronic or enduring pain especially among the elderly that can go on for a long time. Medical shingles can also lead to rare but serious complications that may affect the eyes, ears and brain.

Myth #4: Shingles can be treated at any point during the outbreak.

Even if your shingles is already in its mid-stage, doctors will still naturally try to do something about it. It is a fact however that anti viral medication for shingles can work at their best when used early preferably within 2-3 days after the appearance of medical shingles rashes. The duration and pain of medical shingles can be reduced with early treatment.

Myth #5: Rashes are the number one sign to look out for.

The rashes in people with shingles are sometimes mistaken for something else. The first real indication of shingles is pain followed by rashes or blisters. The pain prior to the outbreak is indicative that the condition is more than just a typical allergy episode.

Myth #6: You can prevent shingles 100% of the time.

One way of preventing shingles is by getting a chicken pox vaccination. Sometimes though, even immunization cannot protect you from the chicken pox and shingles virus. Once you have the virus, it will lie dormant in your system even if you get well from chicken pox. Once a trigger like a weak immune system happens, the virus will reactivate as shingles.

Herpes zoster, colloquially known as shingles, is the reactivation of varicella zoster virus, or VZV. The virus, one of the Herpesviridae group, leads to a group of painful blisters over the area of a dermatome.

As you get older, or if your immune system gets weak, the chickenpox virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles. In most cases, however, a cause for the reactivation of the virus is never found. The herpes virus that causes shingles and chicken pox is not the same as the herpes virus that causes genital herpes (which can be transmitted) and herpes mouth sores. Shingles is medically termed Herpes zoster. Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain and tingling or itching, usually on one side of the body or face. The pain can be mild to severe. Blisters then form and last from one to 14 days. If shingles appears on your face, it may affect your vision or hearing

The most common location for shingles is a band, called a dermatome, spanning one side of the trunk around the waistline. Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles. Scientists think that in the original battle with the varicella-zoster virus, some of the virus particles leave the skin blisters and move into the nervous system. When the varicella-zoster virus reactivates, the virus moves back down the long nerve fibers that extend from the sensory cell bodies to the skin. The viruses multiply, the tell-tale rash erupts, and the person now has shingles.

Shingles is another name for a condition called “herpes zoster.” Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a disease that affects an estimated 2 in every 10 people in their lifetime. This year, more than 500,000 people will develop shingles. It is correctly known as herpes zoster. Chickenpox or varicella is the primary infection with the virus, Herpes zoster , also called ‘varicella-zoster’. During this widespread infection, which usually occurs in childhood, virus is seeded to nerve cells in the spinal cord, usually of nerves that supply sensation to the skin. The virus remains in a resting phase in these nerve cells for years before it is reactivated and grows down the nerves to the skin to produce shingles (zoster). This can occur in childhood but is much more common in adults, especially the elderly. Shingles patients are infectious both from virus in the lesions and in some instances the nose and throat.

Causes of Shingles

Varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox, causes shingles. This virus is in the herpes family. After a person has had chickenpox the virus remains in their body, lying dormant or hidden in part of the nervous system. For some reason, often many years later, the virus travels back down one of the nerves to the skin, where it causes a rash in the area of skin supplied by that nerve. It’s not clear what triggers reactivation of the chickenpox virus but it may be linked to changes in the immune system. Ensuring your immune system is not weakened may help to prevent this occurring.

Signs and Symptoms of Shingles

Before a rash is visible, the patient may notice several days to a week of burning pain and sensitive skin. Shingles start as small blisters on a red base, with new blisters continuing to form for 3-5 days. The blisters follow the path of individual nerves that comes out of the spinal cord (called dermatomal pattern). The entire path of the nerve may be involved or there may be areas with blisters and areas without blisters

What is the prognosis?

For most healthy people, the lesions heal, the pain subsides within 3 to 5 weeks, and the blisters leave no scars. However, shingles is a serious threat in immunosuppressed individuals — for example, those with HIV infection or who are receiving cancer treatments that can weaken their immune systems. People who receive organ transplants are also vulnerable to shingles because they are given drugs that suppress the immune system.

Treatment for Shingles

Shingles is often treated with acyclovir (brand name: Zovirax), famciclovir (brand name: Famvir) or valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex). Acyclovir is available in a generic form, but the pills must be taken five times a day, whereas valacyclovir and famcyclovir pills are taken three times a day. It is important not to miss any doses and not to stop taking the medication early. Antiviral drugs can reduce by about half the risk of being left with postherpetic neuralgia which is chronic pain that can last for months or years after the shingles rash clears. Doctors recommend starting antiviral drugs at the first sign of the shingles rash, or even if the telltale symptoms indicate that a rash is about to erupt. Even if a patient is not seen by a doctor at the beginning of the illness, it may still be useful to start antiviral medications if new lesions are still forming.

Alternative Treatment may include:

# Cold compresses: Apply towels or washcloths wrung out in cold water (and stored in the freezer if you want them colder) to the lesions.

# Lysine cream, available in health food stores, can be applied topically daily or as directed on package label.

# Make an ointment of two mashed aspirins mixed with two tablespoons of chloroform (or Vaseline intensive Care). Apply to the lesions and let dry, Calamine lotion can be applied to the lesions.

Tai Chi

There is preliminary evidence suggesting that tai chi may improve immune function and health in older adults at risk for shingles.

In one study, 36 men and women, aged 60 and over, took a 15 week program of Tai Chi Chih (three 45 minute classes per week) or a wait list control. After 15 weeks, there was an increase in varicella zoster virus-specific immunity and health functioning in people taking Tai Chi Chih. Tai Chi Chih is just one form of the Chinese martial art.

In the past ten years recent studies and research with alternative treatments for shingles has shown it is possible to recover in less than one week and to reduce outbreaks of lesions and pain in three days.

Shingles is a serious health condition and it is important to follow your doctor’s recommendations. Traditionally, most doctors prescribe painkillers for the temporary symptomatic relief of the pain and an antiviral drug to suppress the virus. This form of treatment with drugs reduces the severity and frequency of outbreaks but does not eliminate it from the body. This course of treatment can take six weeks or more and does very little for the patient. The pain associated with shingles can continue long after the initial outbreak.

Some doctors prescribe steroids or itch-relieving creams that contain steroids. Recent studies question the effectiveness of steroids in relieving shingles and suggest avoiding any treatment with steroids. Monitoring by your doctor is recommended, if steroids have been prescribed. It is best to find alternative treatments with your doctor and to seek out natural remedies.

The virus herpes zoster causes shingles and is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles is an infection of the central nervous system and may affect the elderly, those with a compromised immune system, anyone under severe stress or those who have been exposed to the chickenpox virus again. Symptoms may include burning, itching, or pain in one part of the body. A few days later, blisters and a rash appear. The infection may run along a nerve path and look like a branch of a tree. Shingles usually appear on the trunk area and the chest but can also be found on the face. Shingles can cause blindness if it affects the eyes.If an outbreak occurs on the face the patient should get immediate medical care.

Natural Remedies For Shingles

A good starting point for treating shingles is a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables. A good diet and reducing daily stress will help boost your immune system

A simple remedy for lesions is to apply a cool or cold wet washcloth or towel to the affected area. A wet towel can be put into the freezer for a while after wetting it to make it colder.

Eliminate sugar from your diet and add these important nutrients to your daily diet – vitamin E, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

* Vitamin C is suggested with an initial diagnosis of shingles. You may start with 1,000 mg. (+)

* Vitamin E taken daily before meals may reduce the pain of shingles (Study published in the Archives of Dermatology)(+)

* Vitamin B12 injections may reduce the pain of shingles (Study published in the Journal Geriatrics) (+)

(+) It is recommended that you consult with your doctor before starting any vitamin program.

* E capsules can be squeezed directly onto lesions.

* Avoid heat as well as tight clothes and itchy fabrics like wool.

* Calamine lotion may relieve the pain and help dry the lesions.

Shingles is a serious illness and before starting any treatment program you should consult with your doctor.Shingles is the same virus as chicken pox. You cannot catch shingles from someone else unless you’ve never had chicken pox. If you have shingles you should use caution being around pregnant women who have not had chicken pox – you could infect both the woman and her unborn baby.

Shingles is a condition characterized by painful blisters that typically appear in a linear distribution on the skin following nerve pathways. Shingles is caused by reactivation of a previous infection with the varicella-zoster virus. Shingles is a herpes virus infection (herpes zoster) that usually affects a nerve, causing pain in one area of the body. Infection of the ganglia of the posterior roots of the spinal nerves or the fifth cranial nerve by the varcella-zoster virus (shingles), which also causes chicken pox; it is marked by a painful eruption of vesicles usually on one side of the body along the course of one or more cutaneous nerves.

Shingles is derived from the Latin and French words for belt or girdle, reflecting distribution of the rash in a broad band. This band is usually only on one side of the body and represents a dermatome—the area that a single sensory nerve supplies in the skin.

Today’s treatments provide a variety of ways to shorten the duration of a shingles outbreak and to control the associated pain. Sometimes, however, shingles leads to a chronic painful condition called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can be difficult to treat. Putting a medicated lotion (two brand names: Benadryl, Caladryl) on the blisters might reduce the pain and itching. Putting cool compresses soaked in an astringent liquid (two brand names: Bluboro, Domeboro) on the blisters and sores might make them hurt or itch less.

The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body. After several days or a week, a rash of fluid-filled blisters, similar to chickenpox, appears in one area on one side of the body. Shingles pain can be mild or intense. Some people have mostly itching; some feel pain from the gentlest touch or breeze. The most common location for shingles is a band, called a dermatome, spanning one side of the trunk around the waistline.

Yes, shingles is contagious. Shingles can be spread from an affected person to children or adults who have not had chickenpox. Instead of developing shingles, these people develop chickenpox. Once they have had chickenpox, people cannot catch shingles (or contract the virus) from someone else. Once infected, however, people have the potential to develop shingles later in life.

Doctors can distinguish shingles from chickenpox (or dermatitis or poison ivy) by the way the spots are distributed. Since shingles occurs in an area of the skin that is supplied by sensory fibers of a single nerve–called a dermatome–the rash usually appears in a well-defined band on one side of the body, typically the torso; or on one side of the face, around the nose and eyes. (Shingles’ peculiar name derives from the Latin cingulum, which means girdle or belt.) If a diagnosis is in doubt, lab tests can confirm the presence of the virus.

To help with the pain of shingles, your doctor might have you take an over-the-counter pain medicine like acetaminophen (one brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (one brand name: Motrin). Aspirin is not recommended because using it might cause a liver problem called Reye’s syndrome.

Vaccines can help reduce the risk of shingles, while early treatment can help shorten a shingles infection and minimize the chance of complications. If shingles causes severe pain, your doctor might have you take a prescription pain medicine.

Good home care can help you feel better faster. Take care of any skin sores, and keep them clean. Take your medicines as directed. And use over-the-counter pain medicines to relieve pain.

Avoid contact with people until the rash heals. While you have shingles, you can spread chickenpox to people who have never had chickenpox. Be extra careful to avoid people with weak immune systems and pregnant women and babies who have never had chickenpox.

Shingles is a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus (varicella-zoster virus, or VZV). This same virus causes the childhood illness chickenpox. The chickenpox virus (varicella) remains in a dormant state in the body in the root of nerves that control sensation. In about 1 out of 5 people, the virus “wakes up,” often many years after the chickenpox infection. The virus then travels along a sensory nerve into the skin causing a painful rash

known as shingles.

Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus “sleeps” (is dormant) in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus “wakes up” when disease, stress, or aging weakens the immune system. It is not clear why this happens. But after the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.

Before a rash is visible, the patient may notice several days to a week of burning pain and sensitive skin. Before the rash is visible, it may be difficult to determine the cause of the often severe pain. Shingles start as small blisters on a red base, with new blisters continuing to form for three to five days. The blisters follow the path of individual nerves that comes out of the spinal cord (called a dermatomal pattern).

The first symptom of shingles is a burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness, in or under the skin. Other symptoms include fever, chills, headache, or upset stomach. After several days, a rash of small fluid-filled blisters, reminiscent of chickenpox, appears on reddened skin. The pain associated with shingles can be intense and is often described as “unrelenting.”

Also at risk for shingles are people with leukemia, lymphoma, or Hodgkin’s disease, and those whose immune systems have been weakened because they are HIV-positive, or have undergone chemotherapy, radiation, transplant surgery with immunosuppression, or treatment with corticosteroids. Moreover, about 5 percent of people with shingles are found to have an underlying cancer, about twice the number of people in the population expected to have undiagnosed cancer.

Antiviral medications are also routinely prescribed in severe cases of shingles or when the eye is affected. Such treatment needs to begin within three days of getting the rash to be effective, so if you suspect you have shingles, see your doctor immediately. For reasons that are not completely understood, some PHN patients get no relief from pain medication, and what works in one case may not be effective in another.

There are several effective treatments for shingles. Drugs that fight viruses (antivirals), such as acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), or famciclovir (Famvir), can reduce the severity and duration of the rash if started early (within 72 hours of the appearance of the rash). The addition of steroid drugs may have limited benefit in some cases, but studies have not conclusively confirmed the benefit of steroids in combination with all antiviral drugs. In addition to antiviral medication, pain medications may be needed for symptom control.

Shingles also known as herpes zostrer. Shingles is a same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles can cause several problems with the eye and surrounding skin that may have long term effects. Inflammation and scarring of the cornea, along with conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva) and iritis (inflammation of the iris) are typical problems. Shingles manifests as a vesicular rash, usually in a single dermatome. Development of the rash may be preceded by paresthesias or pain along the involved dermatome. Ocular involvement and zoster keratitis may result if reactivation occurs along the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. Approximately 95% of adults in the United States have antibodies to the varicella-zoster virus.

Cover shingles lesions with a clean cloth or loose-fitting gauze after cleansing. Trim fingernails to reduce the chance of bacterial infection from scratching.

Treatment with famciclovir (Famvir) may significantly reduce pain and hasten recovery from an acute attack. Topical creams containing capsaicin may provide some relief from pain. Cover shingles lesions with a clean cloth or loose-fitting gauze after cleansing. Avoid contact with the skin lesions of persons with known herpes zoster infection. Cool wet compresses can be used to reduce pain. Soothing baths and lotions, such as colloidal oatmeal bath, starch baths, or lotions and calamine lotion, may help to relieve itching and discomfort.

Have the person with shingles see the doctor as soon as the shingles rash appears. Treatment within 2 or 3 days of the shingles outbreak may shorten the duration of postherpetic neuralgia.

Apply cool compresses over the zoster lesions or take a cool bath twice a day. Avoid exposure to warm and hot water because this could lead to further itching.

The affected area should be kept clean. Bathing is permitted, and the area can be cleansed with soap and water. Cool compresses and anti-itching lotions, such as calamine lotion, may also provide relief. An aluminum acetate solution (Burow’s or Domeboro solution, available at your pharmacy) can be used to help dry up the blisters and oozing.

As soon as you are diagnosed with shingles, your doctor probably will start treatment with antiviral medicines. If you begin medicines within the first 2 days of seeing the shingles rash, you have a lower chance of having later problems, such as postherpetic neuralgia. Early treatment of shingles is important, because the problems that can arise can be serious and resistant to treatment. For example, 40% to 50% of people with postherpetic neuralgia do not respond to treatment.

The best treatment for shingles is rapid medical treatment. The sooner a person sees a doctor after the first suspicion of shingles, the better off he or she will be. Antiviral drugs are very helpful in reducing the severity and duration of the outbreak, but they must be started within 48 hours of the rash appearing, ideally in less than 24. Otherwise, they are of small benefit. However, the person treated in the first 24 hours after the rash’s appearance will usually have a much lighter outbreak, with few, if any complications, and much less chance of experiencing PHN.

The first coat of finish is best applied before shingles are installed so that the back, butt-end, and face of each shingle are thoroughly coated. The finish may be applied by dipping the shingles to at least two-thirds their length, then standing them vertically until the finish has dried. An alternative to dipping is to apply the finish by brushing, rolling, or spraying. Dipping is the most effective method and brushing is the next best. If a light colored finish has been applied, the butt-end and edge of the shingle will eventually discolor as a result of leaching of water-soluble extractives from the wood.

Shingles also known as herpes zoster is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus the same virus that causes chickenpox . After you have chickenpox (usually as a child), the virus that causes it stays in your body in certain nerve cells. Most of the time your immune system keeps the chickenpox virus in these cells. As you get older, or if your immune system gets weak, the chickenpox virus may escape from the nerve cells and cause shingles. In most cases, however, a cause for the reactivation of the virus is never found. The herpes virus that causes shingles and chicken pox is not the same as the herpes virus that causes genital herpes (which can be transmitted) and herpes mouth sores. Shingles is medically termed Herpes zoster. Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain and tingling or itching, usually on one side of the body or face. The pain can be mild to severe. Blisters then form and last from one to 14 days. If shingles appears on your face, it may affect your vision or hearing. The pain of shingles may last for weeks, months or even years after the blisters have healed. Although it is most common in people over age 50, if you have had chickenpox, you are at risk for developing shingles. Shingles is also more common in people with weakened immune systems from HIV infection, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, transplant operations, and stress. 

Shingles is another name for a condition called “herpes zoster.” Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a disease that affects an estimated 2 in every 10 people in their lifetime. This year, more than 500,000 people will develop shingles. It is correctly known as herpes zoster. Chickenpox or varicella is the primary infection with the virus, Herpes zoster , also called ‘varicella-zoster’. During this widespread infection, which usually occurs in childhood, virus is seeded to nerve cells in the spinal cord, usually of nerves that supply sensation to the skin. The virus remains in a resting phase in these nerve cells for years before it is reactivated and grows down the nerves to the skin to produce shingles (zoster). This can occur in childhood but is much more common in adults, especially the elderly. Shingles patients are infectious both from virus in the lesions and in some instances the nose and throat.

Causes of Shingles

Varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox, causes shingles. This virus is in the herpes family. After a person has had chickenpox the virus remains in their body, lying dormant or hidden in part of the nervous system. For some reason, often many years later, the virus travels back down one of the nerves to the skin, where it causes a rash in the area of skin supplied by that nerve. It’s not clear what triggers reactivation of the chickenpox virus but it may be linked to changes in the immune system. Ensuring your immune system is not weakened may help to prevent this occurring.

Find common causes and risk factors of Shingles :

Stress.

Injury of the skin where the rash occurs.

A weakened immune system.

Fatigue.

Medicines used after organ transplants also a factor in development of this disease.

Cancer is also the main cause of shingles.

Signs and Symptoms of Shingles

Sign and symptoms may include the following :

Chills .

Headache.

Fever.

A red rash with fluid-filled blisters that begins a few days after the pain

Upset stomach.

Treatment for Shingles

Shingles is often treated with acyclovir (brand name: Zovirax), famciclovir (brand name: Famvir) or valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex). Acyclovir is available in a generic form, but the pills must be taken five times a day, whereas valacyclovir and famcyclovir pills are taken three times a day. It is important not to miss any doses and not to stop taking the medication early. Antiviral drugs can reduce by about half the risk of being left with postherpetic neuralgia which is chronic pain that can last for months or years after the shingles rash clears. Doctors recommend starting antiviral drugs at the first sign of the shingles rash, or even if the telltale symptoms indicate that a rash is about to erupt. Even if a patient is not seen by a doctor at the beginning of the illness, it may still be useful to start antiviral medications if new lesions are still forming.

Treatment may include:

Acyclovir has been used for many years as a treatment for shingles. It is effective for people with HIV . Intravenous acyclovir is used to treat serious outbreaks of shingles.

Famciclovir is one of the newest drugs to treat shingles. Famciclovir is actually the pill form of a topical cream called penciclovir

Calamine lotion may help to soothe the rash.

The pain of shingles may be relieved by painkillers such as paracetamol .

Valacyclovir is a “pro-drug” of acyclovir. Unlike acyclovir, valacyclovir needs to be broken down by the body before its active ingredient-acyclovir-can begin controlling the disease.

Thanks to many of the advances in modern science and medicine, researchers have developed antibiotics which significantly help people suffering from a case of shingles. Although there are a variety of antibiotics that may be prescribed by a doctor to someone suffering from shingles, they all perform the same basic functions.

Many doctors prefer to prescribe an antibiotic to their patients with shingles. These antibiotics are designed to not only ease the pain and irritation of the shingles rash, but also to decrease the duration that the rash lasts. Antibiotics for shingles include Zovirax, Valtrex and Famvir. Regardless of which antibiotic your doctor chooses to prescribe you, the key element is that you begin the antibiotic in the early stages of shingles. It has been proven in several different studies that these antibiotics are most effective when taken within three days of the initial symptoms of shingles. By beginning an antibiotic at this stage of shingles, you can ensure that it has the maximum effect on reducing irritation and duration.

Although some doctors choose to prescribe antibiotics to their patients with shingles, other doctors choose to only treat the symptoms of pain. In these cases, a doctor will recommend a common pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil. The use of pain medications may be necessary for some patients even after the rash phase of shingles has ended. There are a percentage of shingles sufferers who experience postherpetic neuralgia, also known as PHN for short. PHN is basically a persistent pain that continues to occur even after the physical signs of shingles disappear. However, it is important to note that some doctors may prescribe an additional antibiotic to treat the symptoms of PHN.

In addition to pain medications and antibiotics, researchers are currently pursuing other forms of treatment. One of the more promising advances in the field of shingles treatment has been a vaccine to prevent occurrences of shingles. Although there has been a chickenpox vaccine for several years, researchers have not developed a completely effective shingles vaccine. However, several months ago, the FDA approved a shingles vaccine which is currently being used in high risk patients. Over the next few years, it is expected that this vaccine will be used in an increasing amount of the general population. Thanks to extensive research and development, people are being presented with a steadily increasing amount of treatment options for cases of shingles.

Please remember the advice and information in this article isn’t meant nor intended to replace professional medical advice. If you think you may be suffering from shingles you should speak to a doctor or special care practitioner as soon as possible and try to limit your contact with those around you until you know whether or not you have shingles.

Having shingles can be a very debilitating and painful experience. This is probably why many people are interested in knowing if there is a cure for shingles. What is the truth about so called shingles treatments?

Cure for Shingles

To date, experts are still trying to determine whether there is indeed a cure for it or not. The truth is that the term “cure” may be a little too strong to use. Experts say that there is no real absolute cure for shingles. There is however, no need to despair because shingles can be treated and controlled.

For sure, there are shingles medication that can help alleviate the pain and shorten the period of the condition. Studies also show that even though there is no cure for shingles, treatment can limit a person’s chances of suffering from complications like post herpetic neuralgia and blindness.

Medication for Shingles

Anti virals cannot be seen as shingles cure because it cannot properly kill the virus. Proper medication however will step up the crusting and healing of shingles blisters by a number of days. Doctors usually prescribe anti viral medication combined with other pain relieving medications.

It is important to note that the earlier the treatment, the more effective and the quicker it can work. It is recommended that medical assistance be sought within 48-72 hours after the first signs of shingles emerge. The first signs are usually pain and some rashes.

Shingles Vaccine

In the past, chicken pox immunization was the solution to reduce the risk of getting chicken pox. Recently, researchers have come up with a solution not as a cure for shingles but as a way of preventing it in people over 60 who have had chicken pox but not shingles.

A new study of a vaccine, however, shows that it can lower the incidence of shingles. This vaccine works best with the elderly and with people who are 60-69 years old. Nonetheless, the vaccine did not prevent shingles 100% in all the participants of the study. Science is still far from discovering a real effective cure for shingles.

Controlling the Spread of the Virus

The virus is not spread by mere contact alone. Contamination takes a direct contact with blisters by persons who have not had chicken pox and have not been vaccinated in order for. Common sense should therefore tell you that you should avoid direct contact with infants, children and pregnant women. In a lot of people who have had chicken pox, there is no need for direct contact with someone who has shingles to get shingles. A poor immune system is enough to trigger shingles.

Supporting Your Immune System

Living a healthy lifestyle and a good diet can’t prevent shingles but it can definitely strengthen the immune system against it. Make sure that you cut down on smoking and drinking too much alcohol. You should also cut your stress levels since stress can affect your immune system. It would also do your body a lot of good if you exercised regularly and ate a balanced diet with foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

People who have shingles do not just suffer from unsightly rashes that can last for weeks. They also suffer form terrible shingles pain. What is shingles pain and how can it affect you?

Pain Before the Rashes

Contrary to popular belief, shingles is not signaled by just the outbreak of rashes. The first real sign of shingles is shingles pain. The reason why shingles pain occurs first before the rashes is that damage to the nerves happens first.

The virus which causes chicken pox usually gets stored in a nerve near the spinal cord once an individual recuperates from chicken pox. When the virus is reactivated, it can cause the nerve to become inflamed which is the initial cause of shingles pain. As the virus travels to the skin and becomes obvious as rashes, the pain may begin to worsen. The degree and constancy of the pain however varies from one individual to another.

Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

In a handful of people who have shingles, the shingles pain may persist even after the shingles rashes disappear. This is a condition known as post herpetic neuralgia. It is believed that the initial swelling of the nerve may result in the nerve defensively releasing substance P which is the known signal for pain. People with severe shingles may have severely damaged nerves, thus resulting in chronic shingles pain known as post herpetic neuralgia.

Age and PHN

It is an accepted fact that older people have higher chances of suffering from shingles than younger people. This is because older individuals have weaker immune systems due to the natural ageing of their bodies’ systems. There is also a possibility that older people with shingles as well as those who have low stress tolerance have a greater chance of suffering from post herpetic neuralgia. The reasons for this are unclear but it is possible that PHN is also still linked with the body’s level of immunity and capacity for self healing.

Treatment of PHN

Just like shingles, there is no clear cure for shingles pain that has progressed to PHN. It is possible though to ease this chronic shingles pain and possibly even prevent it. Some suggest that early shingles treatment can reduce the possibility of developing PHN.

Shingles treatment may include anti viral medications and pain relievers. For those who already have PHN, doctors may prescribe a number of medications which include antidepressants, lidocaine patches, anticonvulsants and opioids. Further studies are needed to determine how exactly antidepressants work to prevent or ease shingles pain.

Radiation Therapy

There is a possibility that radiation may be able to relieve PHN. A study conducted for more than two decades showed that people who were given small doses of radiation on the affected nerves experienced relief from PHN. Some participants even experienced more relief from radiation doses than from the usual shingles medications. It is believed that radiation can prevent both inflammation and the increase of the virus. The use of radiation however almost always carries some risks.