The different stages of shingles and what causes them

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful rash that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. The rash develops into itchy blisters, usually on one side of the body, face, chest, back, abdomen or pelvis. The most common place is under the ribs, leading towards the naval, the vaginal tissue and inside the mouth. 

Since this virus affects the nerve endings in the skin, the rash will appear on one side of the body, running along a nerve. For example, it may start under the ribs and run from the naval to the spine. Shingles may occur at any age, and approximately one in three people will develop shingles at some stage during their lifetime.

Symptoms of shingles

Shingles often begin with intense pain, burning or tingling on an area of skin on the trunk or face. This may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as body aches and pains or a fever. Approximately two to three days later, a painful red rash appears on this area of skin, often distributed in a band across one side of the body or face. This rash begins as a group of small red bumps that quickly become blisters filled with clear fluid.

The fluid in the blisters eventually becomes cloudy, and they break open to form a crusty surface. After five days, no additional blisters appear, and it may take up to 5 weeks for the skin to heal and return to normal.

What Causes Shingles?

Shingles is caused by the virus varicella zoster. After someone has recovered from chickenpox, the virus remains in their body, in an inactive state in the nerves that supply sensation to the skin. In ten to twenty percent of people who have had chickenpox, the inactive virus will become active again. When this happens, the virus multiplies and spreads along the nerve it has been occupying to the area of skin supplied by that nerve, where it causes the pain and rash of shingles.

Is Shingles Contagious?

Shingles are not contagious and cannot be caught off someone with an acute case. Shingles can only occur if someone has had chickenpox in the past.

What triggers the chickenpox virus to become active again and cause shingles is not understood. However, it is thought that when the immune system is not functionally optimal, the virus may become reactivated.

How natural remedies may help shingles

Lysine

Lysine treats shingles by speeding up the recovery time and reducing the chance of recurrence. Lysine works as a preventative as it stops the virus from spreading since it competes with arginine.  Arginine is another amino acid that helps the herpes virus replicate. Taking lysine will interfere with the availability and/or usability of arginine by viruses and slow their replication.  L-lysine is an essential amino acid that the body needs. 

Unfortunately, the body can’t make lysine and is therefore obtained from foods in the diet or with supplementation. Foods containing lysine include beans, legumes, brewer’s yeast, fish and meat, and dairy products. Animal proteins like meat, poultry and eggs contain the highest amounts of lysine, so deficiencies are usually found only among strict vegans. Three grams per day of lysine is recommended in an acute case.

Avoiding foods that are high in arginine is advised

These include nuts and seeds such as peanuts, almonds, pecans and cashews, as well as chocolate, caffeine, oats and soy. More research is required.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is extremely effective at eliminating the varicella-zoster virus. A large portion of the published research looking at vitamin C use with shingles has involved intravenous treatment; however large doses of oral vitamin C (until bowel tolerance is reached) have still been reported as being highly beneficial for the complete cessation of pain within two hours of the first dose. Drying of the blisters within one day and complete clearing of the blisters within three days of treatment was also noted in multiple studies.

Echinacea

Echinacea may help the body to rid itself of microbial infections. It may be effective against both bacterial and viral attacks. It may be used for any infection anywhere in the body for both acute and chronic illnesses and may work on promoting the health of the immune system by boosting and balancing it. It may stimulate the lymphatic system, promoting drainage and elimination of toxins, and may help to prevent and fight potential infections. More research is required. 

It also contains copper, iron, iodine, vitamins A, C, and E, and potassium, which are all nutrients that may help boost the immune system.

Olive Leaf

The active component of the herb, called Oleuropein, has the potential to eradicate virtually every harmful virus, bacteria and protozoa known to humans.

Olive leaf works by putting an unbreakable and impenetrable force field around any given virus so it cannot move from cell to cell and continue to grow and replicate.

Additionally, olive leaf interferes with critical amino acid production which is essential for viruses to grow and replicate. It may also have the ability to contain viral infection and/or spread by inactivating viruses and preventing virus shedding, budding, or assembly at the cell membrane.

Natural remedies for shingles

Capsicum cream

Capsaicin, the active ingredient obtained from chilli peppers, may be useful as a pain reliever for shingles.

The pain receptors in the skin are located close to the surface, and capsaicin works by desensitising sensory nerve fibres, helping with neuralgia. Be aware there may be a burning sensation until the nerves are desensitised and this may take a few hours. The cream needs to be continuously applied until results appear. The burning is just a sensation, and no skin reaction is occurring.

Colloidal oatmeal baths

Bathing in water infused with colloidal oatmeal works well for shingles that have become itchy. Colloidal oatmeal refers to oats that are finely milled and then suspended in water, another liquid or gel. In a liquid or gel, colloidal oatmeal disperses evenly. This suspension of oats allows it to be applied and easily absorbed, providing many protective benefits for sensitive, irritated skin.

Cool compresses

A cool, wet compress on shingles blisters helps to reduce their heat and, therefore accompanying pain.

Stress Reduction

Reducing stress levels as much as possible may be key to natural treatment. This lifestyle change may help to prevent and treat shingles since stress reduction is such an overall immune system and health support.

Related Reads

• 10 interesting facts about the immune system
• Understanding the different types of stress
• Burnout recovery: steps on the path to feeling better after being burnt out

References

1. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/shingles#what-is 
2. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/shingles/shingles#symptoms 
3. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/shingles#causes 
4. LoBue, S. A., Tailor, P., Carlson, S. M., Mano, F., Giovane, R. A., Schaefer, E., & LoBue, T. D. (2019). Recurrent herpes zoster ophthalmicus in a young, healthy individual taking high doses of l-Arginine. American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports, 16, 100547. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722283/
5. Liu, Y., Wang, M., Xiong, M.-M., Zhang, X.-G., & Fang, M. (2020). Intravenous Administration of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster-Associated Pain: Two Case Reports and Literature Review. Pain Research and Management, 2020, 1–8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723478/
6. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/echinacea 
7. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/junk-food-and-your-health   
8. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2017/1115/p656.html   
9. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000560.htm  
10. Kang, H., Crimmins, E., & Ailshire, J. (2020). Stress Is a Risk Factor for Shingles Among Older Adults. Innovation in Aging, 4(Supplement_1), 399–399. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7741697/