They have a very strange name, but for those who have ever suffered from them, shingles are no laughing matter. They're painful, difficult to treat, and unfortunately they seem to keep coming back for many patients. But what exactly causes shingles and how can you treat this condition, and keep it from coming back again?
Shingles actually refers to a strain of the herpes virus, however, they are not transmitted sexually. In adults they are usually caused by a dormant strain of the chickenpox; if you ever had the chickenpox when you were a child, even when the rash cleared up the virus that caused it stayed dormant in your system. Typically the virus reappears in the form of shingles when something compromises your immune system, such as stress, disease, or just plain aging. Usually those that are over 50 or that have any type of autoimmune disease are more prone to these outbreaks than anyone else.
Realizing what causes shingles doesn't actually help you to avoid ever getting them; there's not much you can do about aging or about getting a disease that compromises your immune system. But stress is also a common cause, so knowing that should help you understand the need to keep yourself calm and to learn ways of dealing with your stress before an outbreak of shingles. If you have something coming up that you know will cause excessive stress such as a deadline or presentation or something else, be sure you take extra precautions to keep yourself from getting overly stressed. Exercise, get plenty of sleep, and eat right. Talk things through with a family member or friend; sometimes just having a conversation about your stressful situation can put it in better perspective. These may not seem like much of a cure for shingles but since stress can cause it, if you can control your stress you can cut down on your chances of having an outbreak.
Since shingles manifests itself as a painful skin rash, using topical ointments can help with the immediate pain. Anti-viral medications and steroids can also help heal the outbreak as well.
Persons that are at special risk for the disease can sometimes get a vaccine that will help keep the virus at bay, and those with autoimmune disorders should be very careful about taking care of their condition carefully. And anyone that gets recurring cases of shingles should speak to a doctor as this may signal a disease or condition that should be treated properly.
Some common vitamins and over the counter products can help alleviate the symptoms of shingles such as the following:
Zinc is needed for healing and maintaining healthy tissues. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are the vital components of skin, hair, muscle tissue, the body's organs, blood cells, various enzymes and hormones. Zinc also has a profound influence on the body's ability to resist disease.
Tea Tree Oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties and helps sooth and treat problem skin. It is used to help tighten pores and firm skin for a more youthful, healthy appearance.
Salicylic Acid also helps breakdown blackheads and whiteheads. It also helps cut down the shedding of cells lining the hair follicles clogging the pores of the skin. Salicylic acid is used as a mild abrasive to chemically exfoliate the skin to encourage the peeling of the top layer and to prevent a build-up of dead skin cells which combine with the oil to block pores.
Olbas is used to increase the circulation in skin by opening up the skin pores. Olbas oil has been used for its healing properties in cultures around the world for centuries.
Isotretinoin, a Vitamin A derivative, is an oral drug that is usually taken once or twice a day with food for 4 to 6 months. Isotretinoin has been shown to be very effective in treating severe acne and can either improve or clear over 80% of patients studied. Isotretinoin has a much longer effect than anti-bacterial treatments and will often cure acne for good. It reduces the size of oil glands and much less oil is produced and as a result the growth of propion bacteria is reduced.
Always consult your doctor before using this information.
This Article is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.
Anemia
Anemia is epidemic in such countries as India, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Although anemia is epidem...
anemia.php
A01 Share Adsense Revenue
There are many Article Directories on the Internet vying for you original articles...
a01-share-adsense-revenue.php
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is a disease affecting the arterial human blood vessel. Arteriosclerosis may be one of the most...
arteriosclerosis.php
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease c...
asthma.php
Bladder
The bladder is the repository for most of the body's fluid waste before being passed. These fluids...
bladder.php
A02 Bookmark Button 2
Well all want to have more traffic to our websites. Using the social bookmark services is a cheep and easy way...
a02-bookmark-button-2.php
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is often an acute infection of the air passages starting in the nose and extending to the br...
bronchitis.php
Bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursea, the sm...
bursitis.php
Cancer
No word in the English language invokes such fear and dread as the word Cance...
cancer.php
Canker
Canker sores are shallow, painful sores on the soft tis...
canker.php
Cardiovascular
Except pulmonary arteries, all Arteries bring oxygenated blood to the tissues and except pulmonary veins,...
cardiovascular.php
Carpal
Pressure or swollen tissue on the nerve that passes from the wrist to the hand constricting the nerve where it...
carpal.php
Cholesterol
More that a million Americans die of heart disease each year. One of the major causes of this heart...
cholesterol.php
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis of the Liver is the chronic inflammation...
cirrhosis.php
Cystic
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that affects the entire body, causing progressive disability and earl...
cystic.php
A03 Daves Power Mall
I have looked at numerous on-line money makin...
a03-daves-power-mall.php
Acne
Acne is nearly always the product of blood impurities. Rising hormones levels during puberty, in both male and fem...
acne.php
Aging
Aging that goes on inside your body has far more reaching conseque...
aging.php
Allergies
Allergens that most frequently cause problems are: pollen, mold, ...
allergies.php
Depression
It can be very difficult to deal with depression or to understand someone who suffers from this condition. T...
depression.php
Dermatitis
The term dermatitis is something that is used for many...
dermatitis.php
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is an inherited disease which occurs when the Islands of La...
diabetes.php
Digestion
If you're searching for ways to improve yo...
digestion.php
A04 Lets Go Beat Up Some Smokers
The war on smoking has been going on for over 40 years now and it is not going well desp...
a04-lets-go-beat-up-some-smokers.php
A05 How To Work My Power Mall For Free
The very first thing you should do is send an invitation to ...
a05-how-to-work-my-power-mall-for-free.php
Downs Syndrome
It's unfortunate that many people today jus...
downs-syndrome.php
Eczema
For those suffering from the skin condition of eczema, you may be ready to just scream out for relief. This cond...
eczema.php
Epilepsy
It's unfortunate that there are still quite a few misconceptions today about the disease of epilepsy and...
epilepsy.php
Fatigue
Ask virtually anyone you know if they think they have enough energy, and chances are that ni...
fatigue.php
Glaucoma
You may already know that glaucoma is a disease of the eye that is very ...
glaucoma.php
Gout
It's not unusual for anyone to experience joint pain at any time in their life; overexerting yourself...
gout.php
Hair
Everyone wants the look of thick, shiny, beautiful hair, and this includes both men an...
hair.php
Hot Flashes
Many women think that they have an idea of what to expect wh...
hot-flashes.php
Headaches
There's really no pain that can be compared to consistent and chronic headaches. Whether they're technic...
headaches.php
Heartburn
To those who aren't familiar with the condition, heartburn may seem like just a min...
heartburn.php
Hemorrhoids
Yes, they have been the butt of many jokes (no pun intended) but there is really nothing...
hemorrhoids.php
Infertility
When it comes to discussing the matter of infertility, it's important to understand that this is a conc...
infertility.php
Immune System
Having a healthy immune system is very importan...
immune-system.php
Impotence
What do you think is the least favorite thing for any man to do? Dishes? Housework...
impotence.php
Osteoporosis
It's interesting that many people assume that osteoporosis is a women's disease; it's true that this conditi...
osteoporosis.php
Insomnia
There's an old joke that the best natural cure for insomnia is a good night's sleep, but to those who suffer from ch...
insomnia.php
Menopause
For many women, menopause can be both good and bad. Not having to deal with her monthly cy...
menopause.php
Menstruation
Have you seen the recent commercial that states quit...
menstruation.php
Hypoglycemia
Anyone that has been diagnosed with hypoglycemia ...
hypoglycemia.php
Multiple Sclerosis
Many people may know a little bit about multiple sclerosis (MS) but it's surprising how ...
multiple-sclerosis.php
Muscular Dystrophy
Most people only know about muscular dystrophy (MD) from the ann...
muscular-dystrophy.php
Senility
It's unfortunate that once a person is old enough and wise enough to really begin appreciating an...
senility.php
Parkinsons Disease
Some years ago the famous American actor Michael J. Fox made headlines when he revealed that ...
parkinsons-disease.php
Pms
PMS, or pre-menstrual syndrome, may be the subj...
pms.php
Prostate
Having prostate problems is one that many men dread and fear. Not only d...
prostate.php
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is not just a minor discomfort; this is an actual autoimmune disease that attacks the joints...
rheumatoid-arthritis.php
Sterility
For couples that are trying to get pregnant, addressing the issue of sterilit...
sterility.php
Acid Reflux
Some think that acid reflux is just a minor inconvenience or irrit...
acid-reflux.php
Stress
Stress...
stress.php
Weight Control
Virtually everyone today is interested in weight control, and this means both men...
weight-control.php
Colitis
To those who suffer from colitis, they know that this condition is painful and nearly debilitating, not to mention ...
colitis.php
Alzheimers
It's unfortunate that just as a person enters their precious golden years, when they should be spending th...
alzheimers.php
Crohns Disease
If you suffer from Crohn's disease you know that this condition can be excruciatingly pain...
crohns-disease.php
Fibromyalgia
One of the most controversial and widely misunderstood conditions to...
fibromyalgia.php
Related Websites
...
related-websites.php
