Popular Treatment Options for Shingles

Home Remedies

Shingles also called herpes zoster is a type of viral infection and a painful rash can be associated with this disease. At some point, a large number of people develop shingles and the varicella zoster is the virus that causes this infection and it is the same one that causes chickenpox. If you had suffered from chickenpox during your childhood days, the shingles virus will stay dormant in your body and it reactivates after a certain period to cause a shingles rash. The rash can affect any part and the first symptom of the shingle is the pain. In addition to the rash, you can find fluid-filled blisters within a few days and there can fatigue, light sensitivity or fever as well. You cannot find a magical solution for shingles. Anyhow, antiviral medications are available for reducing the symptoms and you can find several types of shingles ointments to treat this condition.

Baking soda or cornstarch paste 
A past can be made with the help of water and cornstarch or baking soda to reduce the itching tendency involved with shingles. You have to add two parts cornstarch into a cup and one part water must be added to get the expected consistency. This mixture can be applied to the rash and it can be washed off after 15 minutes. This process has to be repeated many times in a day.

Zovirax ointment
Zovirax is a very popular prescription ointment cream for addressing the symptoms of shingles. It contains acyclovir, an anti-viral medication, and this shingles ointment is commonly used for treating cold sores and genital herpes found in your mouth. This product also offers good results when it comes to healing the skin lesions and you can use it to prevent the spread of the virus. All lesions need to be covered with Zovirax ointment and the only area you need to avoid is your eyes. You can use it every three hours and the frequency of use must be around 6 times a day for a week. In order to stop the spread of the virus to other parts of your body, you can use a rubber glove.

Licrogel ointment
Licrogel can be described as a cream ointment or gel and it contains a natural plant extract known as licorice root extract. This extract has excellent anti-viral properties and it is available in ointment form as well as capsule form. This product is a good remedy for treating shingles skin lesions and you can also use it to treat other types of viral skin conditions. In order to solve the painful shingles skin sores, this shingles ointment needs to be applied directly to the affected area. Varicella virus can be controlled with the help of this ointment and the infection can be prevented with utmost efficiency.

Capsaicin ointment
Capsaicin is an important ingredient in the majority of the ointments used for treating shingle lesions and pain. This substance is generated from hot peppers and these types of shingles ointments are not really effective in treating open skin sores or lesions. At the same time, they offer good results when it comes to controlling the residual postherpetic neuralgia after shingles starting to subside. You can expect great relief from irritation and pain with the application of capsaicin ointment because it gets engaged in the process of stimulating the nerve transmitters. You just need to apply a small amount and daily frequency should be limited to four times a day.

Homeopathic options
In addition to the traditional shingles therapy solutions, you can blend homeopathic options to control the discomforts associated with shingles. Homeopathic treatments control pain and itchiness due to the blisters or rash. Homeopathy can be described as an alternative medicine that adopts the method of self-healing. You can visit a homeopathic doctor for getting to know about the treatment options and some of the most popular options include cantharis, Rhus Toxicodendron, graphites, hypericum and Arsenicum album.

Bath and compress
You can take a healing bath to reduce the shingles symptoms. Two cups of cornstarch or colloidal oatmeal should be poured into the lukewarm bathwater and then, you need to soak for 20 minutes. You must not use hot water. This remedy helps you control the symptoms in the nest manner. Apart from taking a bath, a cool moist compress can be applied to find relief from itchiness and pain due to shingles rash. You can do it many times a day for relieving the symptoms. A cloth should be soaked in cool water and the water has to be wrung out before applying the cloth to the affected area. The cooling effect of the compress lowers the pain and it can be done whenever you feel the discomforts unbearable.

There are different types of remedies available including shingles ointments to reduce the pain and discomforts. If you find the symptoms aggravate and uncontrollable, you must consult a doctor immediately.