How to Cope with Shingles

Once you catch it, the chicken-pox virus never goes away. It continues to secretly lurk in the nerve cells of your body years after you suffer a childhood bout of chicken pox. You may not even remember having had chicken pox if yours was a mild case.

But when the herpes zoster virus, as it's called, reappears in adulthood, it's known as shingles. The name comes from the Latin and French words for belt or girdle because of the way the blisters wrap around the body's trunk.

No one knows why the virus suddenly decides to attack again. Some doctors think it occurs when the immune system is temporarily weakened. Shingles is more common in people over the age of 50, and older people are believed to have a lessened immune response. Injury or stress may be responsible. And anyone who's "immunosuppressed" -- such as people who have had an organ transplant or those who have cancer or AIDS -- is more prone to developing shingles.

Shingles often begins with pain or tingling. Then a red rash appears that's soon followed by blisters. The blisters may last anywhere from five days to possibly four weeks and then crust over and disappear. One important clue that you've got shingles: The blistery rash will appear on only one side of the body, most commonly on the trunk, buttocks, or face.

It's after the blisters have healed that the real agony of shingles may set in: It's called post-herpetic neuralgia by the medical community, and it consists of sharp, shooting, piercing pain in the area of the outbreak that can persist for years after the blisters heal. The older you are, the more likely you are to experience this lingering pain. Fortunately, only about 10 percent of all shingles patients will experience this aftereffect.

Getting prompt treatment may reduce the odds that you'll suffer ongoing pain after your bout with shingles. (And if it's any consolation, most people will only experience shingles once.)

If you suspect you have shingles, don't panic, but see a doctor as soon as possible, especially if you are older; ill with another condition; or have shingles on your face, (especially near your eyes, as it can lead to vision problems), leg, hand, or genital area.

If the diagnosis is indeed shingles, you might want to ask your doctor about acyclovir. This antiviral drug, if given early in the course of shingles, may help prevent pain down the road.

Although the experts emphasize the importance of getting prompt medical help, there are some additional home remedies you can do to help relieve pain and itching during the early stage of shingles, when the blisters are present, and to cope with any lingering discomfort once the blisters have cleared up. See the next section for home remedies you can use to ease the pain of shingles.

For more information about shingles and how to combat them, try the following links:

To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
If your skin is dry and irritated, read Home Remedies for Dry Skin.
If you are breaking out with acne, check out Home Remedies for Dermatitis.
Can't stop scratching those irritated spots? Try Home Remedies for Itching.
To learn about a more serious skin disease, go to Home Remedies for Psoriasis.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Home Remedy Treatments for Shingles

While it's imperative that you see your doctor if you suspect you have shingles, you may also want to try some of the following home remedies to ease the pain.

Cool the pain. Cold packs can help relieve the pain from hot, blistered skin. Gently place a cold cloth on the blisters or wrap a towel around the affected area and pour ice water on it. Apply for 20 minutes, then leave off for 20 minutes, and repeat until the pain decreases. You can also try a cold milk compress in the same manner.

Stay in bed. Rest will help your body's defenses come to your rescue.

Take an anti-inflammatory drug. Ibuprofen helps reduce inflammation and is the first line of defense in fighting the pain. Aspirin may be another option. If you are allergic to ibuprofen and aspirin, take over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen (it can help relieve pain, although it doesn't fight inflammation). If these don't help, ask your doctor to prescribe something for the pain. Codeine or other mild narcotics can help reduce the pain in the early phase of shingles. For a list of precautions to take when using over-the-counter analgesics, click here.

Rub on relief. Your doctor may recommend or prescribe a topical local anesthetic cream to be used on your blistered skin. Be leery of OTC topical products that contain diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or any ingredient ending in -caine, however; these can cause an allergic reaction and thus may worsen the situation.

Don't pop the blisters. The temptation may be unbearable, but you will only prolong healing time and open the door to scarring and secondary infection.

Don't spread them. Although it won't bring relief to you, stay away from people who are at risk: Avoid people with any sort of immune problem, such as transplant or cancer patients and children who haven't yet been exposed to chicken pox.

Consider a hot-pepper fix. If the blisters have healed, but the pain persists, what options do you have? Apply hot peppers? Not exactly.

But applying an OTC cream (such as Zostrix) that contains capsaicin,

which is derived from hot peppers, may help. However, many doctors don't recommend capsaicin therapy since it may actually worsen pain for the first two or three days. If you're really suffering, ask your doctor for advice on trying this remedy.

Try to relax. For lingering discomfort from shingles (or from any type of chronic pain, really), consider learning self-hypnosis, imagery, or meditation or engaging in some other activity that can help you relax. Coping with pain is stressful, and stress, in turn, may increase pain perception. Finding a reliable home remedy to calm yourself certainly won't hurt you, and it may help you deal more effectively with the pain.

Try TENS. You may be able to relieve the symptoms of shingles with a TENS (which stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) device. In theory, TENS blocks pain signals from reaching the brain with a weak electrical current (which is painless, though you will feel a tingling sensation). You can purchase a TENS unit to use at home for around $100. Your doctor's office or local hospital may be able to give you information on where to purchase one of these.

Consider an antidepressant. Some studies have shown that low doses of antidepressant medications help relieve shingles-related pain, even in patients who are not suffering from depression. How? Some antidepressants block the removal of a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Extra amounts of circulating serotonin may keep pain signals from reaching the brain. Talk it over with your doctor to determine if an antidepressant might help you cope with continuing pain following a shingles outbreak.

From relaxation techniques to antidepressants, the home treatment options to ease the pain of shingles are varied. The good news is one of the home remedies just might work!

For more information about shingles and how to combat them, try the following links:

To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
If your skin is dry and irritated, read Home Remedies for Dry Skin.
If you are breaking out with acne, check out Home Remedies for Dermatitis.
Can't stop scratching those irritated spots? Try Home Remedies for Itching.
To learn about a more serious skin disease, go to Home Remedies for Psoriasis.

David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.

Lingering Pain From Shingles

After the blisters have healed, the pain may persist. It's unsettling and even frustrating; there's nothing on the surface of the skin to indicate it should hurt, but it does. And according to shingles sufferers, the pain can be excruciating.

One alternative is to seek relief at a pain clinic. Pain clinics specialize in treating the kind of stubborn, chronic discomfort that can accompany or result from an injury or from an illness such as shingles. (Your regular doctor may be able to provide recommendations.)

Pain clinics come in all varieties; some rely largely on a single type of therapy, while others offer a range of treatments -- the so-called "team," or multidisciplinary approach. You may be more likely to find relief at the latter, since no single approach, technique, or drug has yet been proven in studies to clearly and consistently reduce the pain after shingles.

The multidisciplinary approach to pain treatment may include drugs or even surgery but may also include physical therapy, relaxation and stress-management techniques, and other less-traditional treatments. Indeed, doctors generally recommend the trial of less drastic therapies during the first months following an outbreak of shingles before more dramatic and dangerous surgical treatments are even considered. That's the most sensible approach considering that in many cases the pain of shingles subsides on its own.

But if all other steps have failed to provide sufficient relief for chronic, debilitating pain, your pain-treatment team may suggest a more drastic measure known as a nerve block, in which a local anesthetic is injected directly into a nerve or into the spinal cord to block the pain. Although the use of nerve blocks for shingles pain remains controversial, some preliminary evidence suggests they may help some patients.

Another risky measure is surgery in which the nerves carrying the pain are actually cut, although the procedure often fails to relieve pain. No matter what therapy is suggested, however, be sure you get a thorough, understandable explanation of it and that you are clear about the potential benefits and risks before you consent.