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Shingles-Causes, Symptoms, Treatments,
Natural Remedies
Related Links
Fish Oil Benefits-Let Me Count The Ways
Salmon Benefits
Olive Oil-Drink and Live Longer
Lupus Diet Recommendations
May 23, 2009
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor
and Featured Columnist
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus which
causes chicken pox, the varicella zoster virus. In reports
on shingles, the disease is often simply referred to as
"zoster" or "herpes zoster" because it belongs in the same
family of diseases as herpes, all of which cause eruptions
on the skin, after the virus travels along the path of a
nerve. So, it is accurate to refer to shingles as a disease of
the nerves. Women are 11% more likely to develop
shingles than men, and whites are 10 more likely than
non-whites to develop the disease.
Symptoms of shingles are pain or tingling along a path f
nerves from the bottom of the thigh, wrapping around the
body or from the back wrapping around the body. Sores
appear at the ends of the path of nerves. The sores can
range in appearance from red bumps that look like a
common rash to sores, which look like cancker sores or
cold sores.
But unlike the herpes viruses which cause cold sores and
genital herpes, shingles is not a sexually transmitted
disease. In fact, you cannot transmit shingles to another
person. Shingles itself is not contagious.
However, if you have shingles, and you have an outbreak,
you can give another person chicken pox if they come into
contact with the fluids from the sores of shingles. The
reason you cannot give them shingles is that shingles is the
secondary form of the disease which is only expressed
after a person has already been exposed to chicken
pox.You either had to have had chicken pox, full blown, or
at least have been exposed to chicken pox, to have shingles
later in life. Because a shingles sore can spread chicken
pox, make sure the sores are covered appropriately f you
are sleeping with a spouse or partner who has not had
chicken pox.
Unfortunately, we have all been exposed. The Centers for
Disease Control estimates that 98% of all Americans have
been exposed to the virus that causes shingles.
Shingles is far more common than heart disease, stroke,
even diabetes. In the United States, according to the CDC,
one in three people will develop shingles at some point
during their lifetimes. One in three. That means that if you
have 2 friends, one of the three of you will likely develop
shingles. According to the CDC, one million new cases of
shingles are diagnosed every year.
Why does shingles express itself so late in life? Why does
the virus which gives us chicken pox hide out in our bodies
for many decades and only appear after we reach middle
age or later? It is true that the highest incidence of
shingles occurs among those over 50, and especially
prevalent among those between the ages of 60 and 69.
The theories for the re-emergence of shingles later in life
are
1. Age. Shingles affects those over 50, ad especially those
between the ages of 60 and 69. Scientists believe that as
we age, so do our immune systems, leaving us vulnerable
to the second attack by the chicken pox virus.
2. Depressed Immune Systems. All diseases and
treatments that depress the immune system --- cancer,
radiation, even HIV--can also leave us more vulnerable to
shingles.
3. Stress. Stress and stressful events often precede the
emergence of shingles, bringing the virus out of hiding. My
mother-in-law developed shingles after the death of her
oldest son. He died on a Tuesday, and she started having
symptoms 10 days later. Other sufferers of shingles report
that they developed the disease after the death of a
spouse, deaths of close friends and relatives, loss of jobs
or income, relocation of primary residences and tragedies
involving their children or grandchildren.
This connection between stress and shingles mirrors the
patterns of cold sores, which often appear after stressful
events (onset of menstrual cycles and related
pre-menstrual stress, arguments, disruptions in
relationships or job stress).
Treatments for Shingles
Shingles eventually runs its course in most cases within
10-14 days. However, shingles can be a dangerous disease.
If the virus enters the eyes, it can cause blindness.
Shingles is also quite painful in many cases. Post-herpetic
neuralgia(PHN) is the pain that remains after the
development of shingles. Variously described as a constant
itching, irritation, stabbing, shock-like, burning or deep
pain, PHN can disrupt all normal life functions. In fact, it
has been described as one of the deepest pains a human
can feel, second only to child birth in intensity for many
people. So, see your doctor for pain management if you
develop shingles.
Natural Home Remedies to Manage Shingles Pain and
Blisters
Many sufferers report that aloe vera gel mixed with
cayenne pepper or the direct application of apple cider
vinegar helps to stop the pain of shingles and speed the
healing of the blisters. Witch hazel also helps the healing of
the blisters. As for the aloe/cayenne pepper mix, it sounds
as if it should make the pain worse but it seems to stop the
pain. Try to find the highest concentration of aloe gel, or
better yet, use aloe directly from the plant itself for best
results. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for every
cup of aloe gel or pure aloe.
In 2008, the FDA approved a vaccine for shingles. The
vaccine is really a form of a chicken pox vaccine. The CDC
recommends that all Americans over age 60 receive the
Zostavax vaccine. The CDC's recommendation for the
Zostavax vaccine only applies to those over 60, even
though the risk for shingles begins to rise after age 50,
simply because the clinical trials for the drug involved
people over 60.
Topical lidocaine has also been reported to help greatly
with shingles pain but this requires a doctor's prescription.
As for over the counter pain relief, Motrin helps many
people with shingles pain.
Natural Remedies, Foods and Diets That Help Shingles
Because shingles is caused by a virus, there is no natural
"cure". You must receive anti-viral medication to directly
attack the disease. However, there are natural foods that
help to support the health of your nerves and natural
approaches to pain management that may help shingles.
First, all nerves cells need oil to function properly. Fish oil,
omega-3 fatty acids, have been found in numerous studies
to facilitate the healing of nervous conditions. According to
the University of Maryland Medical Center, all healthy nerve
cells contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids
(consisting ofeicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA)). Diets deficient in any of the 3 omega-3 fatty acids
have been linked with increased risk of nervous conditions
and depression.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and nuts. EPA and
DHA are found in various cold water fish and fish plants.
The highest concentrations are found in cold water salmon
but other cold water fish are also rich in EPA and DHA
including halibut, sardines, mackarel, herring and tuna and
in water plants such as kroll and algae. ALA is found in nuts
and seeds and beans oils such as walnuts, flaxseeds,
flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil (canola oil), pumpkin seeds,
pumpkin oil, soybeans, soybean oil, purslane, and perilla
seed oil.
A Mediterrean-style diet, rich in omega-3 fatty acids (also
called polyunsaturated fatty acids), whole grains and leafy
vegetables is the best defense you can have against
diseases that attack your nerves such as shingles. One
weekly meal plan for helping to improve the health of your
nerve cells is
1. Lox on whole grain toast for breakfast. Add a fish oil
supplement with chamomile tea.
2.Snack: 3 walnut halves.
3. Salmon with a plate of green vegetables for lunch.
4. Snack: 3 walnut halves.
5. Sardines in tomato sauce over a plate of spinach pasta
for dinner.
6. Once a day, but not within 2 hours of bedtime and
subsituting Splenda if you are diabetic, drink a toast to the
health of your nerve cells from a "shot glass usually used
for whisky) consisting of two teaspoons of olive oil and
one tablespoon of grapeseed oil flavored with a teaspoon
of honey .
Find more valuable healing foods that promote nerve and
brain health: Salmon Benefits / Fish Oil Benefits-Let Me
Count The Ways / Olive Oil--Drink and Live Longer
Natural Remedies
Related Links
Fish Oil Benefits-Let Me Count The Ways
Salmon Benefits
Olive Oil-Drink and Live Longer
Lupus Diet Recommendations
May 23, 2009
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor
and Featured Columnist
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus which
causes chicken pox, the varicella zoster virus. In reports
on shingles, the disease is often simply referred to as
"zoster" or "herpes zoster" because it belongs in the same
family of diseases as herpes, all of which cause eruptions
on the skin, after the virus travels along the path of a
nerve. So, it is accurate to refer to shingles as a disease of
the nerves. Women are 11% more likely to develop
shingles than men, and whites are 10 more likely than
non-whites to develop the disease.
Symptoms of shingles are pain or tingling along a path f
nerves from the bottom of the thigh, wrapping around the
body or from the back wrapping around the body. Sores
appear at the ends of the path of nerves. The sores can
range in appearance from red bumps that look like a
common rash to sores, which look like cancker sores or
cold sores.
But unlike the herpes viruses which cause cold sores and
genital herpes, shingles is not a sexually transmitted
disease. In fact, you cannot transmit shingles to another
person. Shingles itself is not contagious.
However, if you have shingles, and you have an outbreak,
you can give another person chicken pox if they come into
contact with the fluids from the sores of shingles. The
reason you cannot give them shingles is that shingles is the
secondary form of the disease which is only expressed
after a person has already been exposed to chicken
pox.You either had to have had chicken pox, full blown, or
at least have been exposed to chicken pox, to have shingles
later in life. Because a shingles sore can spread chicken
pox, make sure the sores are covered appropriately f you
are sleeping with a spouse or partner who has not had
chicken pox.
Unfortunately, we have all been exposed. The Centers for
Disease Control estimates that 98% of all Americans have
been exposed to the virus that causes shingles.
Shingles is far more common than heart disease, stroke,
even diabetes. In the United States, according to the CDC,
one in three people will develop shingles at some point
during their lifetimes. One in three. That means that if you
have 2 friends, one of the three of you will likely develop
shingles. According to the CDC, one million new cases of
shingles are diagnosed every year.
Why does shingles express itself so late in life? Why does
the virus which gives us chicken pox hide out in our bodies
for many decades and only appear after we reach middle
age or later? It is true that the highest incidence of
shingles occurs among those over 50, and especially
prevalent among those between the ages of 60 and 69.
The theories for the re-emergence of shingles later in life
are
1. Age. Shingles affects those over 50, ad especially those
between the ages of 60 and 69. Scientists believe that as
we age, so do our immune systems, leaving us vulnerable
to the second attack by the chicken pox virus.
2. Depressed Immune Systems. All diseases and
treatments that depress the immune system --- cancer,
radiation, even HIV--can also leave us more vulnerable to
shingles.
3. Stress. Stress and stressful events often precede the
emergence of shingles, bringing the virus out of hiding. My
mother-in-law developed shingles after the death of her
oldest son. He died on a Tuesday, and she started having
symptoms 10 days later. Other sufferers of shingles report
that they developed the disease after the death of a
spouse, deaths of close friends and relatives, loss of jobs
or income, relocation of primary residences and tragedies
involving their children or grandchildren.
This connection between stress and shingles mirrors the
patterns of cold sores, which often appear after stressful
events (onset of menstrual cycles and related
pre-menstrual stress, arguments, disruptions in
relationships or job stress).
Treatments for Shingles
Shingles eventually runs its course in most cases within
10-14 days. However, shingles can be a dangerous disease.
If the virus enters the eyes, it can cause blindness.
Shingles is also quite painful in many cases. Post-herpetic
neuralgia(PHN) is the pain that remains after the
development of shingles. Variously described as a constant
itching, irritation, stabbing, shock-like, burning or deep
pain, PHN can disrupt all normal life functions. In fact, it
has been described as one of the deepest pains a human
can feel, second only to child birth in intensity for many
people. So, see your doctor for pain management if you
develop shingles.
Natural Home Remedies to Manage Shingles Pain and
Blisters
Many sufferers report that aloe vera gel mixed with
cayenne pepper or the direct application of apple cider
vinegar helps to stop the pain of shingles and speed the
healing of the blisters. Witch hazel also helps the healing of
the blisters. As for the aloe/cayenne pepper mix, it sounds
as if it should make the pain worse but it seems to stop the
pain. Try to find the highest concentration of aloe gel, or
better yet, use aloe directly from the plant itself for best
results. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for every
cup of aloe gel or pure aloe.
In 2008, the FDA approved a vaccine for shingles. The
vaccine is really a form of a chicken pox vaccine. The CDC
recommends that all Americans over age 60 receive the
Zostavax vaccine. The CDC's recommendation for the
Zostavax vaccine only applies to those over 60, even
though the risk for shingles begins to rise after age 50,
simply because the clinical trials for the drug involved
people over 60.
Topical lidocaine has also been reported to help greatly
with shingles pain but this requires a doctor's prescription.
As for over the counter pain relief, Motrin helps many
people with shingles pain.
Natural Remedies, Foods and Diets That Help Shingles
Because shingles is caused by a virus, there is no natural
"cure". You must receive anti-viral medication to directly
attack the disease. However, there are natural foods that
help to support the health of your nerves and natural
approaches to pain management that may help shingles.
First, all nerves cells need oil to function properly. Fish oil,
omega-3 fatty acids, have been found in numerous studies
to facilitate the healing of nervous conditions. According to
the University of Maryland Medical Center, all healthy nerve
cells contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids
(consisting ofeicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA)). Diets deficient in any of the 3 omega-3 fatty acids
have been linked with increased risk of nervous conditions
and depression.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and nuts. EPA and
DHA are found in various cold water fish and fish plants.
The highest concentrations are found in cold water salmon
but other cold water fish are also rich in EPA and DHA
including halibut, sardines, mackarel, herring and tuna and
in water plants such as kroll and algae. ALA is found in nuts
and seeds and beans oils such as walnuts, flaxseeds,
flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil (canola oil), pumpkin seeds,
pumpkin oil, soybeans, soybean oil, purslane, and perilla
seed oil.
A Mediterrean-style diet, rich in omega-3 fatty acids (also
called polyunsaturated fatty acids), whole grains and leafy
vegetables is the best defense you can have against
diseases that attack your nerves such as shingles. One
weekly meal plan for helping to improve the health of your
nerve cells is
1. Lox on whole grain toast for breakfast. Add a fish oil
supplement with chamomile tea.
2.Snack: 3 walnut halves.
3. Salmon with a plate of green vegetables for lunch.
4. Snack: 3 walnut halves.
5. Sardines in tomato sauce over a plate of spinach pasta
for dinner.
6. Once a day, but not within 2 hours of bedtime and
subsituting Splenda if you are diabetic, drink a toast to the
health of your nerve cells from a "shot glass usually used
for whisky) consisting of two teaspoons of olive oil and
one tablespoon of grapeseed oil flavored with a teaspoon
of honey .
Find more valuable healing foods that promote nerve and
brain health: Salmon Benefits / Fish Oil Benefits-Let Me
Count The Ways / Olive Oil--Drink and Live Longer
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