Skip to main content

Common Sense Tips for Coping With Shingles

Now that there is a vaccine for chicken pox, fewer children will experience that dreaded childhood disease.  But a word of caution here...whether you had chickenpox or the vaccine, you can still contract a case of shingles!  The shingles are actually a re-activation of the same virus (herpes zoster)...it never really leaves you once it's introduced to your body.  It simply goes into a dormant state after a case of chicken pox or a chicken pox vaccination.

Shingles Rash



Many years later this, same virus can re-awaken and cause a very itchy, blistery rash on one side of the body. Pain can develop in the area of the rash. Flu like symptoms can occur at this time.  Over the course of several weeks, most of the problems subside.  However, some people experience problems for months to years after such an infection.

If you do become afflicted by a case of shingles, here are some common sense tips from the American Academy of Dermatology:

Consult a physician as soon as possible if you have a rash that you think could be shingles.  There are antiviral medications available. If treatment is initiated within 72 hours of outbreak, these medications can shorten the course and decrease the severity of symptoms.


  • Apply cool wet compresses directly to the rash for cooling relief.
  • Calamine lotion can be applied to the rash and blisters.
  • Cover the rash with a bandage/gauze dressing.
  • Wear loose cotton clothing over the area of the rash.
  • Be aware--you may be contagious, especially to pregnant women and those who have never been exposed to chicken pox virus.
  • Talk to your doctor about the shingles vaccine if you are over age 50.
Sources: Digital Journal.com; pyroenergen.com



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately?  Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members.  Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain.  This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story.  Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube
Post a Comment
Read more

Effectiveness Of Ozone Injections Is No Longer Up In The Air

Most of us know someone who has osteoarthritis, if we don't have it ourselves.  Joint replacement surgery is a pretty common remedy when the joint becomes severely damaged and the patient is in a lot of pain.  With risk of complications from such a surgery, perhaps an alternative treatment should be tried first. One such remedy is the injection of a synthetic version of collagen(e.g. Synvisc®) into the affected joint.  This procedure restores the cushioning to a joint that has degenerated over the years. It can diminish the pain substantially and help put off joint replacement surgery for months to years.  The biggest drawback is that these products are expensive.   GoodRX , a web site that can be used to estimate the cost of medications, estimates the cost of these products to be over $1,000 each. Here's another example--and I am not sure how widely accepted this protocol has become since study authors introduced it in November 2015.  Are you r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fibromyalgia Week: Day 2

Tender points...click caption for WebMD animation Tender points are a unique feature of fibromaylgia.  There are 18 such points on the human body (9 pairs as shown).  Using special technique by hand or a dolorimeter, a fibromyalgia patient will experience pain in at least 11 points, and there will be at least one painful tender point in each quadrant of the body! One study found that up to 96% of fibromyalgia patients suffer from sleep disorders. It is believed that this is responsible for a deprivation of delta sleep, during which human growth hormone is produced. This hormone is essential to tissue repair. Other common problems in fibromyalgia are fatigue, concentration/memory ("fibro fog"), and depression.  There is no doubt in my mind that just enabling the patient to sleep well on a regular basis would be of great benefit! It is not uncommon for fibromyalgia patients to have coexisting conditions--some of these are lupus, disease, irritable bowel syndrom...
Post a Comment
Read more