Shingles can be quite common in the winter and your kids can get them easily. You are also at risk. Shingles (otherwise known as Herpes Zoster) is a painful, blistering rash caused by the chickenpox (varicella) virus and it is common during the colder seasons.
It usually only affects a very limited area of skin but as most sufferers know the pain of the blisters can feell as painful as a cut or burn. Sufferers may also suffer from a low fever. The shingles virus can also make you feel fatigued, burned out and a bit depressed.
Here are twenty tips to make yourself or a loved one feel more comfortable should you contract shinglesl
First of all avoid stress! – The Herpes Zoster Virus infects a nerve, causing a blister to break out, so the best thing you can do for yourself is unplug the phone, avoid irritating people or situations until you feel beteer.
Don't scratch! Scratching rashes or blisters is a big mistake. Not only can this cause a secondary bacterial infection in the area, but also the virus can live under the nails and be transmitted to another part of the body
If the virus enters the eye it can cause blindness. Avoid touching your ears. If the shingles virus, which can be carried by your fingers, gets into the ear it can cause dizziness, vertigo and possibly even hearing loss.
One of the most common misconceptions is that commercially prepared liquid hand purifiers and sterilizers help remove the virus from your hands after you touch a blister. This is not true as these products only kill bacteria – not viruses.
Take baths in Epsom salts or unscented sea salts to deal with itching. Epsom salts draw toxins out of the body and can help to speed the recovery. Taking a bath in Epsom or Dead Sea salts is also very relaxing and can minimize the severity of stinging skin pain. .
Baking soda can help. Mixing half of a cup of baking soda into a bath filled with lukewarm water is an old home remedy that can help ease the pain of open blisters. You can also try making a poultice out of baking soda to relieve discomfort.
Apply cold compresses not warm ones! Warm compresses can cause the blisters to break, which can result in a bacterial infection. Cold compresses help reduce the pain of swelling and itching.
Stay away from caffeine! The shingles virus usually irritates a nerve and causes a blister. The last thing you want to do is irritate any nerves even more by stimulating them with caffeine. Stay away from coffee, tea, chocolate and caffeinated soft drinks, especially while the skin is inflamed.\
Hopefully following these tips can make getting through a bad outbreak of blisters a little better for everyone in your family.