A Natural Approach to Shingles
Shingles, caused by herpes zoster, the same virus that causes Chicken Pox, typically
shows up in older patients with compromised immune systems. This painful
outbreak of blisters can often be accompanied by chills, headache and fever. It’s
reported that one in three people will experience shingles in their lifetime. Shingles
is more dangerous than Chicken Pox as it can lead to serious conditions such as
blindness, hearing loss and neuropathy. Besides traditional medicine’s protocols,
there are natural ways to approach prevention and treatment of shingles.
Keeping a healthy immune system is key to shingles prevention. Eating a
healthy whole foods diet and avoiding stress are some simple (and yet, not always
easy) ways to start. For years, herbalists and naturopaths have suggested a protocol
of L-lysine to prevent shingles outbreaks. High doses of L-lysine have also been used
as a natural preventive for herpes simplex. The agarikon mushroom is another
natural supplement that has shown promise in the prevention of shingles. This
mushroom has been used for thousands of years as a medicine treating various
ailments such as Tuberculosis and Small Pox.
It’s important to remember that shingles shows up when our immune
systems are weak, either because of poor nutrition, other health concerns or use of
some prescription medications. One interesting study published in the journal
Clinical Infectious Diseases found that statins (prescription medications that lower
the levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood) increase the risk of the herpes zoster
virus. In Ontario, St. Michael’s Hospital announced that, “The rate of herpes zoster
was higher among users of statins.” Some natural treatments for shingles are
Vitamin C injection therapy administered by a health practitioner, peppermint oil
applied to pain sites and UVB light therapy. There have also been studies that show
capsaicin cream helped with postherpetic neuralgia associated with shingles.
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