What is shingles and How to Treat

Shingles is a skin disease scientifically called Herpes Zoster or Varicella Zoster, which arises in people who already had chickenpox at some time in life and who are going through stressful situations or who have weakened immune systems as it happens during a cold or flu

The appearance of this disease is more common in areas such as the lips or genital regions, but it can also affect other parts of the body, especially the trunk.

Main Symptoms

The main symptom of shingles is the appearance of small blisters in a small area of   the skin, however, before this symptom other signs may arise such as:

• Tingling or pain in the skin;
• Constant headache;
• Feeling of malaise;
• Redness and swelling of the skin.

Blisters usually arise after 3 days, and when they burst they release a clear liquid. These blisters last on average 10 days, but in some cases they can last up to 21 days.

What Causes Shingles

After the chickenpox crisis, which usually arises in childhood, the disease virus remains asleep inside the body, but in some people it can be activated again, especially when the immune system is weak. In these cases, a case of shingles develops, instead of chickenpox, since in most people it is not possible to have chickenpox more than once in a lifetime.

Although it is more rare, shingles can arise in children or babies, when they already had a case of chickenpox but it was mild or with few symptoms.

How Shingles is Spread

It is not possible to spread shingles, since it is necessary to have had chickenpox before. However, in the case of never having had chickenpox, the virus can be transmitted from someone infected and, in these cases, after having the chickenpox crisis, shingles may appear.

How the treatment is done
The treatment for shingles is done with an antiviral for five to ten days. In this way, a dermatologist or a general practitioner should be consulted to start treatment with medications such as Acyclovir, Famciclovir or Valacyclovir.


Home Treatment

During treatment, it is still possible to use some home remedies to accelerate recovery, even if they do not replace the treatment indicated by the doctor. One option is the blackberry herb tea, to prepare it follow the instructions below:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp chopped blackberry leaves;
• 1 cup of water.

Preparation Mode

Place the ingredients in a pot and boil for 10 minutes. Let cool and apply the tea directly on the blisters 1 to 2 times per day with gauze or cotton. Also the boiled leaves themselves can be used as a poultice and placed directly on the blisters for five to ten minutes.