Several years ago, my wife began to exhibit a red rash located about her neck and face. She complained that it was causing pain that did not seem to be located just at the skin level. As days wore on, the rash increased in area, and some of the areas began to turn into open lesions, that became even more painful.
We were very ignorant as to what was occurring here, but in looking up different skin conditions, shingles looked like a very suspicious culprit. So, we made an appointment with the dermatologist and anxiously awaited the time when we could get this condition arrested and healed.
The doctor explained that, yes, this indeed was a case of shingles, and while most cases of this disease will break out on the trunk, the back or abdomen, sometimes it will appear around the neck and face, as it did with my wife. The real concern with this area is that it can affect the eyes and even the brain, if left alone too long.
Shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus, a relative of the "other herpes" virus we hear so much about. More specifically, it derives from the chicken pox virus, which goes dormant in our bodies when we are "healed" from the chicken pox, usually as children. The symptoms are large, patchy areas of the skin that begin as a rash, the form sores, or lesions in the skin that become very painful.
In my wife's case they were beginning to form all over her neck, face and even into her scalp. She had some beginning to form on her nose near her eyes, which became extremely painful. The doctor said that we need to take action immediately and prescribed zovirax, or acyclovir which is an antiviral medication. Sad to say, that after a month of taking the medication, there was no measurable relief, and the condition seemed to be just a little worse than before.
Needless to say, we were pretty discouraged. Not really knowing what we should do next, we fortunately had a friend recommend a naturopathic practitioner to us who had a history of offering relief to such conditions in a more natural way. We surmised that it was worth a try, so we scheduled an appointment.
The practitioner was very knowledgeable about shingles and its causes and informed us that this is the result of a very depleted immune system which enables the dormant virus to raise its ugly head and do its damage. The recommendation was to build up my wife's immune system naturally and give her body the strength to attack the disease naturally.
Her suggestions were:
Get completely off of sugar and white flour. (Cake, pie, soft drinks, all sugary desserts, white bread, etc)
Begin a program of B vitamin therapy. B vitamins are our stress vitamins, that strengthens our nervous system. These vitamins are water soluble and are depleted rapidly when we are under stress.
Drink 5 to 7 full glasses of distilled water per day to flush the system. Distilled water is the only kind our body can use, and if we don't put it in our body to begin with, the kidneys have to distill it anyway.
Substitute brown rice for other starches, such as potatoes and white rice. This is rich in B vitamins, iron, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and selenium.
Drink Pau D'Arco (Tahibo) tea. This comes from the bark of a tree from Brazil and is one of the world's most powerful anti viral agents. The procedure was to take a large pinch of the bark from the jar, boil it in water, the let it simmer for about 15 minutes. She then drank one full glass of the tea, 5 times per day.
By following this treatment, my wife began to see the lesions and the pain begin to disappear in a mere 5 days. The proof was definitely before us and we certainly were excited. It is one thing to read about a treatment and relief from a condition, and it is yet another to experience it.
This treatment simply rebuilds the body's immune system so that healing can take place from within, just as nature has planned it to occur.
ShinglesDavid Tennant is a former high school football coach and researcher of health related issues. The use of minor pain relievers in sports is obviously necessary, and over the years a few basic remedies have stood the test of time. The cost is very small, so that any family or person can afford to purchase and have on hand the necessary product. To learn more go to: Relief for Shingles [http://relief-for-shingles.com] for more details.