If you intend to get medical attention for your shingles, do it immediately. Antiviral medication is effective only if given early.
For self-care, the first thing to remember is not to scratch the shingles rash. Scratching can increase your risk of bacterial infection and scarring. Second, pain medications can help for the nerve pain especially an anti-inflammatory. Apply cool compresses to weeping blister for 20 minutes several times a day to dry out the blisters. The compresses also decrease the risk of secondary infection. Stop the compresses as soon as the blisters dry. You don’t want to dry out the surrounding skin.
Keep the shingles outbreak area clean with mild soap and water. Avoid skin-to-skin contact with anyone who has not had chicken pox as you may infect them. Also, avoid people who are sick, have a weakened immune system or who are taking immunosuppressants.
Medications typically prescribed for shingles include pain-killers such as acetaminophen ibuprofen. Since shingles is a reactivated virus, anti-virals such as Zovirax, Valtrex and Famvir are often prescribed. Topical corticosteroids can also be prescribed to calm the inflammation of the skin caused by shingles.
Always follow medication directions and consult your doctor if you medications don’t seem to be working.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Showing posts with label shingles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shingles. Show all posts
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Shingles Symptoms
Shingles can affect many parts of the body because it migrates along the nerve paths. The first symptoms of shingles are often sensitivity or pain in a band on one side of the body. This band can have itching, tingling, burning, aching or deep shooting pain sensations.
After 1-3 days of this pain, a rash can appear. This shingles rash can have raised, red bumps and blisters in the same band as the pain. They fill with puss and then scab over between 10-24 days after the nerve pain has begun.
The rash does disappear as the scabs fall off although scarring may occur. Scarring is more prevalent in those shingles sufferers who have scratched the itchy rash. The scabs of shingles typically fall off 2-3 weeks after the rash has formed.
All together, shingles can last from under a month to well over a month and a half or more. Shingles can also migrate along several nerve paths and occur in more than one area. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox has the possibility to get shingles and 20% of people who get shingles are likely to develop post herpectic neuralgia or PHN. PHN is long-term nerve pain that can last for several months, even years, after the shingles outbreak.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
After 1-3 days of this pain, a rash can appear. This shingles rash can have raised, red bumps and blisters in the same band as the pain. They fill with puss and then scab over between 10-24 days after the nerve pain has begun.
The rash does disappear as the scabs fall off although scarring may occur. Scarring is more prevalent in those shingles sufferers who have scratched the itchy rash. The scabs of shingles typically fall off 2-3 weeks after the rash has formed.
All together, shingles can last from under a month to well over a month and a half or more. Shingles can also migrate along several nerve paths and occur in more than one area. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox has the possibility to get shingles and 20% of people who get shingles are likely to develop post herpectic neuralgia or PHN. PHN is long-term nerve pain that can last for several months, even years, after the shingles outbreak.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Shingles and its Causes
Medical research has not been able to prove what causes shingles and/or the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. Some possible causes of shingles include stress, fatigue, a weakened immune system, cancer, radiation therapy and injury of the skin.
Stress is suspected of causing many problems within the human body. Not only does stress cause an emotional strain, but it leads to lack of sleep causing fatigue, both of which are thought to cause shingles outbreaks. The lack of sleep can also weaken the immune system. Fighting off a cold or infection can also weaken the immune system.
Our immune systems weaken as we age which is why of the 500,000 cases of shingles reported in the U.S. each year, 70% are over the age of 50. Once a person reaches 80 years of age, the risk of shingles is even higher.
The immune system can also be weakened by prescription drugs taken for a completely unrelated disease. Basically, any weakening of the body from disease or treatment can allow for shingles to affect a person.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Stress is suspected of causing many problems within the human body. Not only does stress cause an emotional strain, but it leads to lack of sleep causing fatigue, both of which are thought to cause shingles outbreaks. The lack of sleep can also weaken the immune system. Fighting off a cold or infection can also weaken the immune system.
Our immune systems weaken as we age which is why of the 500,000 cases of shingles reported in the U.S. each year, 70% are over the age of 50. Once a person reaches 80 years of age, the risk of shingles is even higher.
The immune system can also be weakened by prescription drugs taken for a completely unrelated disease. Basically, any weakening of the body from disease or treatment can allow for shingles to affect a person.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
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