Naturopathic Solutions For Shingles

Most people have experienced a rash at some point in their life.

Poison ivy, allergies, or eczema can all be to blame, but sometimes a rash will appear without a clear cause.

The pain and itching of a rash can be irritating, distracting, and frustrating to deal with especially in severe cases.

I’m Dr. Sheila Dyer, a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, and I want to help you find natural solutions for your skin conditions so you can get back to feeling – and looking – your best.

Shingles is a viral infection characterized by a rash with liquid filled blisters in a stripe along one side of the face or torso.

It can be uncomfortable, itchy, and painful, and it often seems to come out of nowhere.

In this article we’re going to talk about what shingles is, what causes it, and some things you can do to help lower your risk and reduce the duration and intensity of symptoms.

What Is Shingles?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster is a viral infection caused by the virus varicella zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

The virus can stay dormant in the nervous system for years after a chickenpox infection and become reactivated later in life.

Shingles generally manifests as a painful, burning, red skin rash.

It can also appear as a rash of blisters along the torso, neck or face.

Shingles is a fairly common condition, affecting up to as many as one in three adults at some point in their lives.

Infections usually clear up within two to three weeks and rarely do any lasting damage.

Once someone has had shingles, they are less likely to get it again.

What Are The Symptoms Of Shingles?

The first symptom of shingles is often a burning sensation in small patches, generally along one side of the body.

This pain can start before a rash actually appears.

Once the rash does develop it tends to appear wrapping around from spine to torso or around the face and ears.

Some cases of shingles also involve flu like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, and fatigue in addition to the rash.

Complications From Shingles

Shingles complications are relatively rare, but it’s important to be aware of them so that treatment can be accessed as soon as possible if it’s needed.

Ophthalmic herpes zoster occurs in 10-20% of shingles cases and involves a rash on the nose, eyelids and forehead.

A shingles rash around the eye area can cause intense eye pain, and has the potential to cause permanent nerve damage if left untreated.

If you suspect that you may be experiencing this, seeing a medical professional promptly is important.

Left untreated, shingles of the eye can cause permanent discomfort and vision loss.

Similarly, a rash that extends to the ears can cause hearing loss, balance issues, and weakening of the facial muscles if left untreated.

Shingles inside the mouth can make eating painful, and in some cases can damage ability to taste.

What Causes Shingles?

Shingles infections occur when the dormant varicella zoster virus is reactivated in the body.

Because of this, shingles is not contagious.

You can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles, but you cannot catch shingles from them.

Even in the case of a chickenpox infection, the virus isn’t airborne, so direct contact with an oozing blister is needed to become infected.

It’s not yet clear why some people who have had chickenpox develop shingles while others do not, or why shingles infections appear when they do.

Risk factors for shingles involve a weakened immune response to infections, such as from aging, emotional stress, surgery, and cancer treatment.

Naturopathic Solutions For Shingles

In severe cases with risk of complications, there are medications available that can help manage symptoms.

In other cases, it can be helpful to have a naturopathic doctor provide natural solutions to manage your condition.

Here are some simple things you can try to help boost your immune system and soothe the symptoms of a shingles rash.

1. Eat A Shingles Friendly Diet

A shingles infection is generally precipitated by a weakened immune system.

To counter this, some dietary changes can help to strengthen the immune system and reduce the length and severity of a shingles infection.

A shingles friendly diet includes vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, and lysine, one of the amino acids that the body uses to build proteins.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but in this case orange and red fruits, including citrus fruits, as well as leafy green vegetables are an especially good way to get the vitamins and nutrients that will help your immune system.

Meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs are also good parts of a shingles friendly diet, along with whole grains, beans, and legumes.

If you have food allergies or a digestive health issue, of course, switching up your diet can be easier said than done.

Book an appointment with me, and let’s talk about your options.

2. Take An Oatmeal Bath

Cleansing the rash or blisters daily can help reduce the risk of spreading infection.

Cool water is best for this, as it can help calm the itching and burning sensations.

Hot water can also increase blood flow to the skin and further irritate the rash.

Adding one to two cups of colloidal oatmeal to lukewarm bath water can help to calm itching, as the oatmeal hydrates and brings down inflammation on the skin.

3. Echinacea

Echinacea has long been used in traditional medicine to strengthen the immune system.

It has antiviral properties that make it especially well suited to helping the immune system fight of the virus that causes shingles.

Studies specifically investigating the link between echinacea and shingles are lacking, but it’s a commonly available option to try, and it’s unlikely to do harm.

Echinacea is widely available as a supplement in pill form, but it can also be taken in liquid drops.

4. Acupuncture

Postherpetic neuralgia is the medical term for the nerve pain that can arise as a complication from shingles.

This is one of the more common complications, and this study suggests that acupuncture may help to alleviate its symptoms.

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting fine needles into the skin that has been used for centuries and for a variety of ailments as an element of traditional Chinese medicine.

In the case of postherpetic neuralgia, the study found that patients who were treated using acupuncture tended to have less pain overall as measured on a number of different scales.

5. St. John’s Wort

Like Echinacea, St. John’s Wort has antiviral properties that make it helpful in fighting infections.

It can also be used for relief of nerve pain, which can be a side effect from complications of shingles.

In some uses, it can also reduce stinging, burning, redness, and pain from shingles rashes.

Book An Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND

Shingles can be a challenging health concern to navigate.

The symptoms can be painful and uncomfortable, and concern over complications can be nerve wracking.

To make matters more complicated, many skin rashes cause itching and burning that may feel like shingles but won’t respond to the same strategies.

Fortunately, you don’t need to deal with your health concerns alone.

Book an appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, to find naturopathic treatments that will be right for you.