Shingles. Among the most feared words amongst the over 40s. Have you ever needed it? Or met anybody who has? Can they tell you just how horrible an experience it was?
This week, all of a sudden and out of the blue, it seemed to pop up (literally) everywhere I turned. Shingles is among the most debilitating’minor’ diseases you can grab in maturity, and statistics show it will strike as many as one in four of us within age 50.
What are shingles?
Shingles are your grown-up version of chickenpox. It’s caused by precisely the same virus, re-activating it on your nerve tissues after years, sometimes decades, of lying dormant on your system. It’s extremely embarrassing, also shows up as an itchy, burning rash: glowing red and blistered. It usually arrives in your stomach and chest, but it could also attack your eyes and face, sometimes leaving scarring and damage in its wake.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Shingles Testimonial
I wanted to write and provide a testimonial to Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. I broke out in Shingles two days before my birthday OHHHHH, what misery. (www.dynamicslr.com) Anyhow, I looked online and discovered there was nothing actually that the doc can do for this, so I started searching for natural remedies. I discovered all kinds of things in ice-cream to vinegar.
I just had some of those Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar from the cupboard, as I take it for indigestion, that works great with the way! So I determined that I’d choose the teaspoon in the afternoon and teaspoon during the night instead of going and receiving plain apple cider vinegar in the store. I also determined that I’d up the dose from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons night and morning, and also to tub the shingle blisters using it. This was an instant relaxation to this itching! And I could say that it helped the pain for a little while. Following a week of carrying Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar internally and bathing the shingles, they’d dried up.
All of the info I’d found online said that it might take anywhere up to 60 days to allow them to wash up! I am so happy I had it available. I did run from the Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and hubby moved into Brookshire’s and obtained some of the normal apple cider vinegar… do not advise attempting to drink this stuff!!!! YUCK!!! Hubby said I smelled like I had not had a bath in a month, however, I told him he would need to just deal with this. LOL Hope nobody has to use this treatment, but just know that it’s here in order to use it and IT DOES HELP!! (testimonial source)
How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar Externally for Shingles?
Use a cotton ball or spray bottle to use organic and raw apple cider vinegar directly to the painful areas of your skin. Avoid contact with sensitive skin areas and your eyes. In case you have shingles close to your eye, then use castor oil on those areas instead.
Use this therapy at least twice per day or more frequently if desired. If the apple cider vinegar appears to be drying skin out a great deal, employ some castor oil or coconut oil into the skin following the apple cider vinegar dries.
Whenever you’re taking apple cider vinegar for a health state, use organic and raw apple cider vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon to a glass of juice or water and take this tonic two times every day, together with our without food.
In case you’ve got a serious shingles epidemic, it could be wise to consider other supplements as well, such as vitamin C and lysine.
Caution is advised when using homemade remedy on shingles
Q: Once I had shingles, I implemented apple-cider vinegar into the rash. I believed it would burn off, but within minutes it eased the burning and itching of these shingles. Afterward, my daughter had shingles and also used exactly the same remedy. The only downside was that the vinegar smell.
A: A shingles assault may cause extreme pain. Prescription antiviral drugs (acyclovir, famciclovir, valaciclovir, etc.) always would be the first line of defense and may speed recovery if used early.
Other treating remedies for shingles
1. Healing baths
Daily cleansing of these blisters reduces the risk of spreading the disease. Have a cool bath or shower to soothe skin. The coolness of the water may ease pain from shingles blisters and serene itchiness.
You might also have a therapeutic bath to lessen symptoms. Pour 1 to 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal or cornstarch into lukewarm bathwater and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t use hot water. Hot water may worsen shingles blisters because heat increases blood circulation.
Dry your body thoroughly and then wash your towel to prevent spreading the virus to others.
2. Wet, cool compress
Along with taking a tub to ease pain and itchiness associated with a shingles rash, use a cool, moist compress. Try this several times during the day to alleviate symptoms. Soak a cloth in warm water, then wring the water out, and then put on the cloth to the rash and blisters.
The coolness of the compress can decrease pain. Repeat the process as often as you want. Don’t use the ice pack to the rash. The coldness might increase skin sensitivity and also worsen the pain.
3. Baking soda and cornstarch paste
Produce a paste using cornstarch or baking soda and warm water to naturally alleviate itching caused by means of a shingles rash.
Pour two parts of cornstarch or baking soda into a single cup. Add 1 part water to find the desired consistency to the paste. Use the mixture to your rash. Rinse it off after 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day as required.
4. Soothing lotions and creams
Scratching a shingles rash may cause scarring and eliminate blisters. If itching doesn’t enhance after a recovery tub, a cool compress, or a baking soda or cornstarch mixture, use soothing lotions and creams.
Natural remedies for shingles
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral disease that causes a painful rash. The varicella-zoster (VZV) virus causes this viral disease. It’s the same virus that causes chickenpox.
In the event that you had chickenpox as a child, the shingles virus lies dormant in the human body. The virus may reactivate later in life and cause a shingles rash. The rash may occur on any part of the body but normally only affects small sections.
Infection is usually the first symptom of shingles. The rash and fluid-filled blisters form in a few days following the onset of pain. Some individuals with shingles also have a fever, sensitivity to light, and fatigue.
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, roughly 1 in 3 men and women in the United States will develop shingles at some time in their lifetime.
The shingles virus may last between two and six weeks. Shingles aren’t life-threatening, but some people today experience postherpetic neuralgia. This is when nerve fibers become damaged, causing shingles pain which lasts for weeks or months after the rash clears.
There’s no cure for shingles, but your physician can prescribe antiviral drugs to help shorten the length of the virus and decrease symptoms.
Though an antiviral is a great remedy for shingles, it’s only one alternative. Several all-natural remedies can also lessen pain and discomfort.
5. Dietary remedies
A weakened immune system worsens shingles. Some dietary changes could strengthen your immune system and prevent shingles from spreading to other parts of the body. Take steps to boost the role of your immune system by eating particular foods and avoiding others.
A shingles diet consists of foods with vitamins A, B-12, C, and E, along with the amino acid lysine. Foods that encourage healing include:
- Orange and yellow fruits
- Leafy green vegetables
- Red meat
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Wild-caught fish
- Milk
- Whole grains
- Legumes
- Beans
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
As you heal and deal with the effects of shingles, you may crave comfort foods. But you should avoid certain foods when you’ve got shingles. Foods to avoid include:
- Food and juices using large amounts of sugar
- Arginine-rich foods (like chocolate, gelatin, and nuts)
- Refined carbohydrates
- Foods high in saturated fat
Eating a lot of these foods may weaken the immune system and possibly extend the virus. Foods with high levels of arginine may also cause the virus to replicate.
6. Homeopathic or herbal remedies
You could consider homeopathic remedies together with traditional therapy to aid with your shingles symptoms. Homeopathy is another medication that embraces the method of letting the body to cure itself.
Presently, there’s little scientific evidence that supports the use of homeopathic medication as a cure for any condition. Furthermore, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the safety or effectiveness of any botanical remedies.
If you are considering using any homeopathic remedies, make sure to speak with your physician first.
Some supplements and herbal medicines may also help the human body fight the virus, and also cure insomnia and anxiety because of shingles. These include:
- Melatonin
- St. John’s Wort
- Peppermint oil
- Echinacea
- Lemon balm
- Green tea
- Essential fatty acids
The takeaway
Understand that natural remedies do not work for everybody. Even in the event that you discover an effective all-natural remedy, there’s no treatment for shingles. The virus has to run its course.
But, nonconventional remedies can decrease your discomfort and aggravation and speed the healing process when used together with traditional treatment.
Consult your physician before taking any supplements. Make sure that you have the appropriate diagnosis. If your condition worsens, seek immediate medical attention.
