Overcoming Shingles Symptoms

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:35:52 +0000

Helping You Alleviate Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Symptoms.

I decided to create this Blog to help people who suffer from shingles and to share some of the Remedies that helped me in this battle.

What is shingles? What causes shingles?

Shingles (Herpes zoster) is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After an individual has chickenpox, this virus lives in the nervous system and is never fully cleared from the body.

Under certain circumstances, such as emotional stress, immune deficiency (from AIDS or chemotherapy), or with cancer, the virus reactivates and causes shingles. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox is at risk for the development of shingles. It has been estimated that up to 1,000,000 cases of shingles occur each year in the U.S.
The herpes virus that causes shingles and chickenpox is not the same as the herpes viruses that causes genital herpes (which can be sexually transmitted) or herpes mouth sores.

What are symptoms of shingles? How long does shingles last?

Before a rash is visible, the patient may notice several days to a week of burning pain and sensitive skin. Shingles rash starts 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 come out of the spinal cord (called a dermatomal pattern) and appear as a band- or belt-like pattern on an area of skin.

The entire path of the affected nerve may be involved, or there may be areas with blisters and areas without blisters.
Eventually, the blisters pop, and the area starts to ooze. The affected areas will then crust over and heal. The duration of the outbreak may take three to four weeks from start to finish. On occasion, the pain will be present but the blisters may never appear. This can be a very confusing cause of local pain.

Is Shingles Contagious?

Yes, Shingles is Contagious. Shingles can be spread from an affected person to children or adults who have not had chickenpox. But 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. Shingles is contagious to people that have not previously had chickenpox, as long as there are new blisters forming and old blisters healing. Similar to chickenpox, the time prior to healing or crusting of the blisters is the contagious stage of shingles. Once all of the blisters are crusted over, the virus can no longer be spread.

I wish you and loved ones good health, happiness and success in overcoming the shingles. Please scroll down to next posts to read more….

J. K.

shingles symptoms natural treatment

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:27:59 +0000

Shingles appears in three main stages. The herpes zoster virus reappears after lying dormant since early chickenpox, then infects nerve cells and skin cells. Itching and burning appear first, followed by a rash that may consist of open sores. The final stage, post-herpetic neuralgia, is the pain that remains long after the virus has disappeared. This phase may last for weeks, months, or even years. It ruins an otherwise pleasant lifestyle. Antiviral drugs do nothing for treating post-herpetic neuralgia. Some herbs, however , have been shown to be helpful.

Duration : 0:3:6

Shingles Pathophysiology

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:17:59 +0000

Animation showing the reactivation of dormant herpes zoster virus to cause shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia.

Duration : 0:1:14

Part 9 – Shingles and wound treatment

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:44:35 +0000

We treated many types of wounds. The shingle cream takes the pain within 2 hours and is also effective when children have chickenpox

Duration : 0:1:8

Shingles

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:27:59 +0000

Shingles is reactivation of the chickenpox virus later in life.

Duration : 0:1:30

Overcoming Shingles Symptoms » chickenpox