You may be experiencing an itchy rash, a painful rash with blisters and bumps on one half of your body. You could be dealing with pain and discomfort that may be debilitating. If you are dealing with these things, you might be one of the many sufferers of a disease called shingles. Shingles can be pure torture for those who have it - and many are at their wits end trying to figure out what they can do about it. For those who suffer daily from the effects of shingles, treatment for shingles is a necessity they cannot afford to ignore. People don't want shingles to define their lives, and want to break free from this cycle of pain.
Shingles is an affliction that is the result of a childhood illness: chicken pox. Chicken pox is a virus called varicella zoster, and it doesn't actually go away once you recover from chicken pox. Rather, it lies dormant in the body for many years, mostly causing no harm at all. But when you get older, and your immune system may weaken for various reasons, this virus may be triggered to reawaken and reemerge, traveling the body to find itself at the end of our nerves, literally. This is what leads to the pain and discomfort that shingles sufferers experience. If you are having pain with shingles, it will usually only last for three to five weeks - but in some instances, the illness becomes a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia, and is accompanied by more debilitating, chronic pain. If you wish to avoid the hardship that can come from neuralgia, you will want to seek treatment for shingles as soon as you possibly can. Having shingles is very difficult for many people to deal with both physically and psychologically - so getting treated right away is a huge help.
If you have shingles, you are likely suffering from symptoms that can mimic common illnesses, such as stomach aches, fever, chills, headaches, and the like. If you develop the rash - and most people do - then it will help determine whether or not you have shingles, for those who cannot tell if you have it or not. When coming down with shingles, you will likely get red spots that blister and become yellowed scar tissue.
Getting treatment for shingles is very important - but it can actually be lifesaving for people who are going through other ordeals which weaken and compromise their immune systems. Some of these include suffering from HIV, undergoing a transplant, and getting chemotherapy or radiation treatments. For these individuals, shingles can be more than just a debilitating illness - it can be fatal.
Now that you know what shingles looks like, you can begin the process of treating it. Topical creams, ointments, and anti-inflammatory medications are good treatment options for shingles. In addition, people may also use natural remedies to help with pain. Keep in mind that many natural remedies may not be FDA-approved.
No matter the level of pain and discomfort you may be feeling, there is hope in treatment for shingles.
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