When you’re looking for shingles home remedies that work, knowing about some of the most traditional items used to treat this unpleasant condition could help you stock your medicine cabinet, to help prevent the worst and most intense symptoms of this illness. The shingles condition is actually a viral nerve infection that can cause a lot of pain and last for a long time. The varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox in kids, can cause shingles in adults.
Calamine Lotion for Shingles
Lots of people have used calamine lotion to treat a case of shingles. Since shingles affects the nerves, it can cause intense sensations, including both pain and itching. Shingles can cause blisters on the skin that will open, ooze and remain uncomfortable for days before healing over. In lots of cases, shingles manifests on one side of the body or another.
Because the itching and pain associated with shingles can be intense, one of the main things that shingles medications can do is to alleviate some of these sensations, helping those who are dealing with shingles to feel better and allowing their bodies to focus more on fighting off the virus. Calamine lotion is one recommended tool for relieving the symptoms of this illness.
Using Calamine Lotion
It’s relatively simple to use calamine lotion as a home remedy for shingles. Simply wash and then completely dry the affected areas. Then, apply the calamine lotion liberally. You may want to shake the bottle before using the calamine lotion to ensure consistent application.
Aside from calamine lotion, doctors or others may also recommend additional strategies to deal with the pain and itching. This includes using cold packs on the skin, as well as washing shingles blisters with cold water. Other home cures recommend mixing the calamine lotion with rubbing alcohol before application.
If you have any of the symptoms associated with shingles, talk to your doctor before practicing any home remedies. Your family doctor can tell you if you have shingles or some other condition with similar symptoms. In most cases, calamine lotion is not dangerous, but some people can have allergies and some complications can occur, especially if lotion gets on sensitive areas of the body or gets ingested.
Good consultation with a qualified medical staff will help you find out how to effectively and safely treat your shingles for a better chance at beating this chronic condition before it worsens into a full-blown case. Since shingles generally develops over time, some proactive treatments can help the body’s immune system fight the virus while helping to manage the eruption of the skin.
