Shingles, scientifically named as ‘herpes zoster’, is a viral infection that causes rashes in small sections of the body along with immense pain and is sourced from the same virus that causes chickenpox which is known as varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
If you had chicken pox in your childhood, then there is a chance that at later stages, you can develop shingles. The first symptom of shingles is the immense pain. After a couple of days, you will see rashes and fluid-filled blisters in small sections of your body, while some people also experience fever, fatigue, and sensitivity to light along with painful blisters. Shingles usually last from two to six weeks.
Complications
Although shingles isn’t a life-threatening disease, some people develop a more serious condition due to this, known as postherpetic neuralgia when the nerve fibers get damaged. This condition can cause shingles pain to last for weeks and months even after the rashes clears out. Although there is no perfect treatment for Shingles, antiviral medications prescribed by your doctor can help to reduce its symptoms and shorten the time span of shingles. Read on to know the various at-home treatment options for shingles.
Top treatments for shingles
Take healing baths
One of the most effective and top treatments for shingles that prevents the rashes from spreading to different parts of the body is thoroughly cleansing the body on a daily basis. Taking a shower with cold water along with antiseptic soap can help you to soothe your skin and body as the coolness of the water will reduce the pain and itchiness of the shingles blisters.
You can also prepare a healing bath for yourself which is considered to be one of the top 3 shingles treatments. To prepare a healing bath, you need to pour 1 to 2 cups of colloidal oatmeal or cornstarch into lukewarm water and leave it for 10-20 minutes before taking the bath. Remember, do not ever use hot water as it will increase the blood flow which in turn can worsen your shingles blisters. After having the bath, dry your body completely and rinse off the towel to avoid the further spread of the disease.
Apply a wet and cool compress to your blisters
In addition to the healing bath, you can apply a cold moist compress to the shingles blisters to get temporary but effective relief from the painful blisters. This is one of the top 3 shingles treatments. You need to soak a cloth in cool water and apply that wet cloth after wiring out the extra water to your blisters and rashes. The coolness of the compress will not only reduce the pain but will also ease out the itchiness caused by those rashes.
Put a cornstarch paste on your rashes
This home remedy is one of the top 3 shingles treatments in addition to antiviral medications. Prepare a healing paste by pouring two parts of cornstarch or baking soda into one part of water and mix them well in a cup to form a paste. Apply this homemade paste on your rashes and blisters and leave them undisturbed for about 15-20 minutes. After that, you can rinse off the paste from your skin with the help of cold water.
Other than the aforementioned three methods, other useful options include the following.
Apply soothing lotions and creams
You need to keep in mind that scratching shingles blisters can worsen them and may permanently damage that portion of the skin. Even after the use of a healing bath, cool compress, and cornstarch paste doesn’t improve the itchy scenes, then you can take the help of soothing lotions or creams to calm your skin.
Lotions and creams don’t add any effect in the healing process, but they will certainly increase your comfort by reducing the itching effect caused by those shingles rashes and blisters. Talking about the types of lotions or creams, avoid scented or chemically active lotions as it may add up infections on shingles blisters which can increase the healing time.
Follow a proper diet
We all know that a weakened immune system can worsen any disease and it’s the same for shingles. Consuming healthy and proper diet is considered to be one of the top shingles treatments that will strengthen your immunity system and prevent shingles from spreading to other parts of the body. Diet consisting of foods that are rich in vitamins A, B-12, C, and E and the amino acid lysine significantly boosts your healing process.
You should consider the fact that natural homemade remedies don’t work for everyone. Even if you discover some effective method to manage your shingles rashes, there’s actually no cure for shingles. On the other hand, non-conventional natural remedies can speed up the healing process and reduce the discomforts associated with shingles.
