What is the Cure for Shingles?

The pain, discomfort and inconvenience that shingles can bring have moved a lot of people to search for a cure for shingles. The question is whether there really is a cure for shingles.

A Cure for Shingles

Experts say that there is no real cure for shingles in the actual sense of the word. In the first place, people get shingles when the virus is first contracted and manifested as chicken pox. After chicken pox heals, the virus, like other herpes viruses, stays hidden and dormant in the body. It is therefore nearly impossible to completely expel the virus from the body. There is thus no clear cure for shingles but it can be treated.

It is also not clear whether there is a high incidence of several reactivations of the virus in people who have already had shingles. Some say that shingles can happen only once but some individuals clearly state that they either have prolonged cases of shingles or repeated reactivations of the virus.

Shingles Treatment

The closest cure for shingles is shingles medication in the form of antiviral medicines. There are several brands of antiviral medications and the kind that you take will depend on your doctor’s recommendation. Antiviral medication can increase the rate that rashes heal and can ease the pain by preventing the virus from multiplying.

Anti viral medications can also be paired with corticosteroids in critical cases of shingles like people who have rashes on the face, those who are over 50 and those who feel too much pain. Corticosteroids as a cure for shingles cannot be used liberally because it can lead to terrible side effects like insomnia and meningitis.

Early Treatment

Treating shingles early is crucial for an effective near cure for shingles. It is recommended that medication be administered within the first three days of noticing shingles symptoms. A tingling or throbbing pain before the rashes appear may be a sign that you already need an early treatment cure for shingles. Treating shingles even before the rashes break out in full can help prevent complications like post herpetic neuralgia that may especially affect some elderly individuals who have shingles.

Post Herpetic Neuralgia Treatment

Post herpetic neuralgia is a condition of prolonged and extreme pain that happens after the cure for shingles rashes has apparently been successful. People who experience this kind of chronic and enduring pain may be prescribed certain mediations that are different and separate from the cure for shingles. Possible treatment for post herpetic neuralgia may include anti depressants, opioids and anticonvulsants. The kind of treatment will depend on an individual’s specific condition.

Self Care

Those who are sick with shingles can practice some self care methods on their own. Antihistamine may be taken to relieve the symptoms of shingles and topical antibiotics may be additionally prescribed for self application to prevent infection. Applying cool wet compress on the blisters may ease the pain and help the blisters dry faster.

Although shingles is not as contagious as chicken pox, people and children who have never had chicken pox may get chicken pox if they get into direct contact with wet blisters. People with shingles should therefore always cover the blisters when in contact with individuals who have never had chicken pox.