
AromaWorks Aromatherapy RELAX Inhaler
Calm down naturally. Because less stress = fewer outbreaks.
Calm down naturally. Because less stress = fewer outbreaks.
A gentle soap for shingles. Won’t sting or irritate the rash.
Naturopaths and doctors are starting to agree: natural remedies can help shingles pain. But don't let that distract you. The No. 1 goal should be to prevent an outbreak from ever happening.
You may not have considered natural remedies for shingles but the condition is more common than you might think. About 25% of all American adults get shingles at some point, usually after age 50. And your chances keep increasing with age. In fact, about half of all shingles cases occur in people over 60.
The first sign of shingles is usually a burning pain or itching around one side of the waist. It can also start on one side of the face, usually near the eye and/or the forehead. After several days, a rash of fluid-filled blisters appears but then slowly subsides over the course of a few weeks.
Unfortunately, in about 1 out of 5 people, shingles pain lasts for months after the blisters disappear. Called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), it is the result of nerve cell damage inflicted by the shingles outbreak. PHN can range from a mild, continuous aching to severe shooting pain. Luckily, most PHN pain does eventually go away.
Again, the older you are when you develop shingles, the more likely you are to suffer PHN. It rarely happens to people under 50. It develops in about half of all shingles patients over 60. And in almost 3 out of 4 patients over 70.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who’s had this childhood disease carries the virus. Doctors don’t know why but in roughly 1 out every 7 of these people the virus suddenly gets reactivated. And the result is shingles.
That’s an interesting questions. At one time doctors thought that recurrences were rare, that having shingles once almost guaranteed you wouldn’t get it again.
Today, doctors say that recurrence happens to roughly 1 in 3 shingles sufferers. And the risk of a second bout is higher in people older than 50. It’s also higher for those who live with extreme emotional or physical stress.
First of all, doctors recommend the shingles vaccine. It isn’t perfect, though. It only works about half to the time. On the other hand, just like a flu vaccine, doctors say that if you develop shingles despite receiving the vaccine, you are likely to have a milder case.
During an attack, doctors generally treat shingles with drugs to relieve the pain and itching of the rash. Over-the-counter medication (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen) can be used. Some physicians prescribe narcotics (or even steroids) for the pain. And antihistamines for the itching. All medications work best when started quickly, within the first 2 days of seeing the rash.
Here are five effective natural remedies for shingles to help prevent a recurrence of an outbreak:
Here are eight effective natural remedies for shingles to relieve an outbreak:
Shingles is a serious illness, so contact your doctor if you suspect that you have it.