Good morning everyone. I'd really appreciate your prayers. Yesterday I found out I have Shingles. Thank you.
That sucks. I hope you can get through it reasonably quickly. My BIL had it last year and it did not look like fun.
Sorry to hear that. Hope you get through it quickly. I hear one in three people get it at some point in their lives. I got the chickenpox when I was 18. It is horrible to get them at that age. You get them way worse as you get older compared to getting them as a little kid. I hope that doesn't somehow increase my chances of getting shingles.
For those who have spared the joy of shingles, thing "red hot barbed wire wrapped around the affected area," and you'll be getting close.
Unfortunately once you get Chicken Pox, you're pretty much guaranteed to get Shingles. They both come from the same Virus. The varicella-zoster virus. Once you have Chicken Pox, the virus stays in your body forever. As you get older, or other circumstances that may lower your immune system, Shingles rears it's ugly head. Here's an article. http://www.healthline.com/health/shingles-contagious?m=0#Overview1
I'm guaranteed to have red hot barbed wire wrapped around some infected area in my future. Can't wait! Thanks guys! Hope you get better quickly, Seeking.
Thank you guys. I'm feeling better today physically. Though the affected areas are very sensitive to any touch and sting like crazy.
Nothing quite like it, eh bro. I found that turning the AC down so that the room is cooler than I would normally like, and keeping the area exposed to the air (but not to a fan or air current, OUCH) is helpful, if the afflicted area permits it.
Yes sir. A nice cool breeze does help. And oddly enough a hot shower does too. It hurts when the water first hits, but then relief sets in.
Do you have essential oils around the house? A few drops of tea tree, peppermint and/or helichrysum (which is fab for nerve pain) diluted in some sort of skin-friendly carrier oil (coconut, olive, almond etc) can really be helpful. Also oatmeal to help soothe the skin. You can try a paste of cornstarch & baking soda to help them dry out so they heal faster. If you like the taste of black licorice, then star anise brewed into a tea is an amazing antiviral that should help also. I take star anise in tincture form to help ward off viruses. Especially effective against the flu (they make Tamiflu from a star anise compound, actually). You can also brew a strong star anise tea and then soak paper towels and apply them directly to your sores for a local antiviral treatment. St. Johns Wort does not only have antiviral properties but can also be an effective nerve pain remedy, to at least help take the edge off. It's sold OTC in any store or pharmacy with a vitamin/herbal supplement section. My goddaughter has had shingles several times. She normally gets them during times of stress. So check your stress levels and see if you can lower them by getting plenty of rest, having fun, etc. See if you can find ways to naturally boost your immune system with extra vitamin C and other supplements, as well as increasing your fruit and veggie intake. A weakened immune system will evidently cause you to succumb to viral and/or bacterial infections much faster. The hot water thing seems to have to do with something called "substance P" which it depletes and so helps with the pain signals that get sent to your brain. Prayers sent for a speedy recovery.
I was going to suggest the heat thing as well, but it is so counterintuitive I thought it might be just me! I think what happens is that the heat overloads the pain receptors...
Thanks for the great info and your prayers. On the first night I noticed the rash my daughter had made a concoction of tea tree and coconut oil to soothe the area. It was really nice. The doctor prescribed a topical cream with steroids so that's what I'm using now and it seems to be working really well. The sores look pretty dried up and healing quickly. I'm just really itchy and have to fight the temptation to scratch.
Makes sense. It's really helping alot. I know I'm using a lot of water, but man does it feel soothing.