Best Home Remedies and Treatments for Shingles

Best Home Remedies and Treatments for Shingles

Cold Water
Cold water can help control the pain from blisters. It can also help ease itching and irritation.

Soak a towel in cold water, wring out the excess water and gently place it on the blisters. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then remove it. Repeat until the pain decreases.
Also, you can take a cool bath to help ease pain. Soak in cool water for several minutes, and then pat dry your skin completely.
Note: Do not use ice packs or water that is too cold. Also, make sure to wash any used towels to prevent spreading the virus.

Oatmeal
The anti-irritating and soothing properties of oatmeal can give you much relief from the irritation, pain and constant itchiness associated with shingles.

Add two cups of finely powdered oatmeal to a bath tub filled with lukewarm water. Soak in this bath water for 10 to 15 minutes. You can take this soothing bath two or three times daily, until there is improvement in your condition.
You can also a make a paste of one tablespoon of coarsely powdered oatmeal and water. Apply the paste on the affected area, allow it to dry on its own, and then wash it off with warm water. Repeat several times a day for at least one week.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is another very effective remedy for shingles. It will help dry out the sores and stop the itching. Being a natural disinfectant and antiviral, it will also speed up the recovery process.

Mix together equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water. Soak a cotton cloth in the solution and place it on the affected areas. Leave it on until it dries on its own. Repeat several times daily until the shingles heal completely.
Also, you can add one teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey to a glass of warm water. Drink this solution three times daily with meals for one or two weeks

Wet Compress
Cool, wet compresses work much the same way a cool bath does. The cool compress helps to ease pain and irritation. Soak a towel or cloth with cool water. Wring the water out, and then apply the compress to your rash for several minutes at a time. Do not use ice packs.

Again, it’s important you do not reuse any towels or cloths that comes into contact with your rash. Wash used towels to prevent passing on the virus to someone else.

Organic Honey
Honey is a healing and skin reviving agent and helps in clearing the blisters associated with shingles. While the curing action takes place, honey will also treat your skin gently, wiping away the damage caused on the skin and leaving it wonderfully moisturised and nourished. Take a bandage and apply honey on it. Place it on the area of shingles affected skin. Make sure that it covers the entire area without any gap. You can also use gauze soaked in honey for this purpose. Tie it around the area of shingles and replace with fresh honey every few hours. Honey will remove the shingles slowly with continuous application.


Virgin Coconut Oil
The benefits of coconut oil are not limited to hair care. They can be extended to your skin as well. For treating shingles, apply coconut oil directly on the affected skin or place gauze that is soaked in coconut oil. Replace every few hours. Coconut oil that is pure has anti inflammatory and anti viral qualities which help in removing the shingles virus and its troubles. While you use coconut oil, it is important to use virgin coconut oil and not refined ones available in the shops.

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic properties. Aloe vera is considered as one of the most effective home remedies to treat the problem of shingles. Fresh aloe vera gel can be directly applied on the affected area to cure shingles. Direct application of aloe vera juice on the affected area can also provide the desired results.

Sea Salt
You can create a solution by mixing sea salt (1 tablespoon) in water (1/2 cup). Direct application of this solution on the affected area with the use of a cotton swab can help in dealing with the problem of shingles. You can also take a bath with water containing sea salt to treat shingles.

Calamine lotion
It worked for chicken pox and believe it or not, it can work wonders here. You can easily get calamine lotion at any pharmacy and it works wonders for helping to ease the pain of shingles. Just as chicken pox has a lot of itching associated with the sores, shingles has a lot of pain associated with the sores—and calamine lotion can really provide some necessary relief for both. It’s best to apply it using a cotton ball so that you can get it right on the source of the painful blisters and then use it throughout the duration of the shingles until the pain subsides.

Capsaicin
This is a natural pepper extract and it works wonders on soothing the pain and providing some relief. You can usually find it in cream form. You might find it in a pharmacy or you may have better luck at a health food store. This is a topical cream that can help to provide some relief from the pain, and it comes with little to no side effects. It’s easy enough to put some on the surface of the shingles and it may not necessarily lessen their duration, but they can provide some much needed pain relief from this very challenging health problem.

Essential Oils
There are some great essential oils out there, but you want to be sure that you opt for the right one. You might find a good blend such as H-Shingles formula by Amoils.com which is a natural healing oil. You may use other oils to help with the pain such as peppermint or even lavender but go slowly to ensure that it doesn’t irritate the site even more. Essential oils can also help you to relax when you feel the stress of coping with shingles in the first place, which is an added benefit.