Shingles may rarely be considered dangerous to healthy individuals, but it still comes with its own risks, especially if left untreated. After all, it can pose several other risks to parts of the body based on where your outbreak is and even lead to complications that can be fatal. But for most people, shingles is nothing more than an irritating, miserable nuisance. Now, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t take this rash seriously, but there is no need to go into a full-blown panic. With the proper treatment, you can drastically improve your condition, ease your symptoms and get back to feeling great. Many of the treatments available for shingles can also be done at home, which is always a nice bonus when you aren’t feeling your best. But there are some instances where you’ll want to get your outbreak checked out by a professional healthcare provider. For example, if you have a shingles outbreak on your upper face, no matter how mild it may seem, it has the potential to damage the eye if not cared for properly. But how are you supposed to know when your rash deserves a trip to the E.R. or when you can resort to some antiviral medicines to clear it up while catching up on the latest episodes of your favorite Netflix series? Well, we have you covered in this article with everything you need to know about shingles.
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What is Shingles?
Put simply, shingles, which is also called herpes zoster, is a viral infection in the body that causes a painful rash. It’s caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox, and remains inactive in the nerve tissue after you’ve had chickenpox. Years later, the virus can become reactivated as shingles.
A shingles rash can occur anywhere on your body, but it typically appears as a single line of fluid-filled blisters on the left or the right side of your body. Depending on the location, such as around the eye, you may be required to seek medical attention regardless of how mild your symptoms may be just to rule out any potential risks. Otherwise, shingles are fairly harmless and not life-threatening, but it can be extremely uncomfortable and debilitating depending on the severity of your symptoms. The good news is that outbreaks typically scab over in 7 to 10 days and fully clear up in 2 to 4 weeks. Early treatment can also help shorten the length of a shingles infection and reduce the chance of complications, so it’s crucial to act quickly once you notice signs of the virus popping up on your skin.
What are the Causes of Shingles
As mentioned, shingles are caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and anyone who experienced chickenpox may develop shingles later on. While the virus remains inactive in the body for many years, it can reactivate and present itself as shingles. However, not everyone who has had chickenpox will get shingles; it really just depends and experts are entirely clear as to the reason it occurs for some and not for others.
There are some other factors that can increase your risk of developing shingles, such as:
- Age: The risk of shingles increases with age, as it’s most common in people older than 50 years of age.
- Certain diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer can increase your risk of developing shingles
- Cancer treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy, may lower your immune system and trigger shingles
- Certain medications, particularly those designed for transplant patients, can increase your risk of shingles. Prolonged use of steroids is another possible trigger.
Shingles Symptoms
Shingles is typically harmless, other than making you feel incredibly miserable from the painful outbreak that consists of symptoms, such as:
- Pain, burning, numbness and tingling
- Sensitivity to touch
- Fluid-filled blisters that eventually break open and scab over
- Itching
Other less common symptoms are:
However, the first early signs of a shingles outbreak appear before any of these symptoms and typically consist of a red rash. This rash happens just a few days before the pain and other uncomfortable symptoms take over. They can be subtle or intense, but regardless of the severity of your symptoms, it is absolutely imperative to pay attention to the location of them. This is because, not only can the symptoms pose a risk to other parts of your body, but the pain can also be mistaken for a symptom of problems affecting your lungs, kidneys and heart.
As such, it is highly recommended to speak with a healthcare provider when the symptoms occur.
How to Treat Shingles
The most common form of treatment for shingles is antiviral medications, with the three most popular options being acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir, all of which help shorten the severity and length of your outbreaks. Unfortunately, there is no cure for shingles but quick treatment upon onset is key for speeding up healing and reducing potential complications.
Over-the-counter pain medication and prescription pain medication can also help relieve some of the pain and discomfort experienced with shingles. These can come in pill form, as a lotion, cream, and bath product. In more severe cases, an injection of corticosteroids or a local anesthetic may be used.
However, shingles can also be treated at home and naturally using things such as wet compresses, calamine lotion, oatmeal baths and by making simple lifestyle and diet changes. Below is a list of the most effective natural remedies for treating shingles:
- Take a cool bath or use a cold wet compress on the blisters to relieve itching
- Reduce the amount of stress in your life with stress management techniques
- Using a TENS machine can help soothe painful areas
- Acupuncture can reduce pain and symptoms by drawing out toxins
- Cupping therapy can help draw out toxins to reduce symptoms
- Nutritional supplements, such as papain (from papaya), thiamine, vitamins
- A combination of baking soda and cornstarch applied to the rash can help relieve itching
- Combine two parts of cornstarch or baking soda with some water until you get a paste
- Apply to the infected area for 10 to 15 minutes
- Use a lotion made with the natural ingredient capsaicin (an anti-inflammatory) to soothe symptoms
- Avoid lotions and creams with perfumes, scents or additives
- Apply calamine lotion after showers and baths to help soothe your skin and dry out the blisters
- Aim to strengthen your immune system with some dietary changes, such as eating more foods with vitamins A, B-12, C and E
- Eat more oranges and yellow fruits, leafy green vegetables, eggs, chicken, fish, dairy, whole grains, legumes, beans, tomatoes, and spinach
- Avoid certain foods, such as sugary beverages, chocolate gelatin, cereal grains, raisins and nuts (high in arginine), refined carbs and foods high in saturated fats
- Use herbal medicines, such as melatonin, St. John’s Wort’s, oregano oil, lemon balm, green tea, essential fatty acids and Echinacea for natural relief
- Drink plenty of water to help flush out the infection
Additionally, make sure to keep the affected area clean, dry, and exposed to air as much as possible and although the itching can be maddening at times, try not to scratch or burst the blisters.
There are comprehensive guides to treat shingles. One of our recommendations is The Shingles Solution.
When to See a Doctor
Although shingles is fairly harmless, there are some instances where you’ll want to seek medical attention when an outbreak occurs. This is particularly true if you don’t have any kind of treatment plan in order, as untreated shingles can be extremely uncomfortable and can lead to further complications, including death. Certain locations of an outbreak also pose the risk of causing damage to other parts of the body. For example, shingles pain and rash that occurs near the eye can lead to permanent eye damage. So, to ensure your health and safety, and proper healing, contact your doctor immediately in the following situations:
- The pain and rash occur near your eye, as this can lead to permanent eye damage.
- You’re over the age of 60 (age significantly increases your risk of complications).
- You or someone in your family has a weakened immune system.
- The rash is widespread and painful.
- This is your first outbreak (don’t wait any longer than three days after your rash has begun)
There may not be a cure for shingles but with the right treatment plan, you can drastically improve your condition and speed up the healing process to eliminate those painful symptoms quickly and effectively.
