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How to Get Rid of Shingles?

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Dealing with shingles (herpes zoster) is a pain that no one wants to willingly go through. These small blisters can appear on either side of the body along with headache, nausea and fever. The pain can be either throbbing or mild and there is no cure for shingles. A doctor should be seen if you have shingles for more than a few weeks or have a health condition that will weaken the immune system. Sometimes more aggressive measures will be needed.

Cover and Dry

Shingles can itch and drive you mad. If you break the blisters, the infection will spread. One way to deal with this is to cover the affected area with sterile gauze so that you don’t scratch. You can also use clean bandages for this. You also need to be able to dry the shingles out and using baby powder on the blisters will help draw out the moisture. Use antibacterial soap and lukewarm water to clean.

Pain Relief and Topical Lotion

To relieve the pain of shingles take something that is anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or take an analgesic such as aspirin to not only relieve pain but reduce fever as well. Using topical lotion such as calamine does wonders for the itching and pain.

Creams Containing Capsaicin

Along with using topical lotions, you can also use Penetrex® cream which will numb the area and is a good anti-inflammatory agent. This provides both pain and itching relief. If the itching gets too bad, consider using an antihistamine that is oral.

Treatment by Physician

In some cases, a trip to the doctor will be unavoidable. There are prescription medications that can be used to help with shingles such as valacyclovir. Prednisone and corticosteroids can also be used to get rid of inflammation. Another suggestion would be to ask about a lidocaine patch. Only your doctor will be able to make the decision as to what medications should be used to treat the outbreak of shingles. They will be the first resource for anything that can help with a shingles outbreak. Some cases will require a more aggressive approach than what you can do at home.