Herpes zoster - symptoms and treatment in adults at home using folk remedies and medications

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Shingles (herpes zoster) is a disease resulting from the activation of the varicella zoster virus (herpes virus type 3), which affects the dorsal roots of the spinal cord and intervertebral ganglia (clusters of nerve cells, nerve ganglia), and also leads to the appearance of skin rashes at the level of defeats.

• Causes of herpes zoster in humans
• Consequences and complications
• Symptoms and signs
• Traditional treatment
• Herpes zoster - folk remedies and methods of treating herpes zoster - recipes from the newspaper Vestnik ZOZH

How is shingles transmitted? Ways of infection with herpes zoster

Most often, people who have previously had chickenpox get shingles; the disease manifests itself when the immune system is weakened, usually at the age of 60-80 years. Shingles is contagious, but people who have had chickenpox are not at risk of infection. When children who have not had chickenpox come into contact with people with herpes zoster, children develop typical chickenpox. And children with chickenpox can cause herpes zoster in adults. Infection occurs by airborne droplets and contact. Through the mucous membranes, the virus enters the blood, from where it enters the skin and then penetrates into the endings of sensitive nerve fibers.

A person with normal immunity recovers in 2-4 weeks. In elderly and weakened patients, the disease can drag on for months, or even years, and is more severe.

Causes of herpes zoster in humans

The main reason for the activation of the varicella zoster virus dormant in the human body is weakening of the immune system: 1. Decreased immunity as a result of old age 2. Decreased immunity as a result of taking certain medications (hormones, immunosuppressants). 3. Decreased immunity as a result of chronic stress and overwork. 4. Oncological diseases:. 5. Consequences of radiation therapy. 6. HIV infection and AIDS.

Forms of herpes zoster (herpes) in humans The following forms of herpes zoster disease are distinguished: 1) gangliocutaneous;
2) ear and eye; 3) gangrenous (necrotic); 4) herpes zoster with damage to the autonomic ganglia; 5) meningoencephalitic; 6) disseminated.

Use of medications

It is recommended to treat herpes at home with products in the form of ointments, tablets, and injections. Shingles is eliminated with the help of drugs with antiviral effects - Famvir, Valacyclovir, and so on.

As for ointments, doctors advise treating the disease:

Before using the listed remedies, the affected areas must be treated with a fucorcin solution, which has antibacterial and antiviral effects.

It is worth studying in more detail the features of a particular drug that is used to treat herpes zoster at home:

1. "Acyclovir". Eliminates symptoms such as rashes. Under the influence of the product, they dry out and crusts form in their place. The pain stops and recovery speeds up. The drug is in tablet form and is available as an ointment and solution for intravenous administration. The doctor prescribes the medicine, especially in the presence of advanced herpes.
2. "Cycloferon". Helps strengthen the body's defenses, that is, it successfully fights the cause of the disease. Often, to make the symptoms disappear, Cycloferon is used intramuscularly for 5 days. The tablet form of the drug is prescribed at the initial stage. It is enough to take once a day half an hour before meals. The tablets should be taken well with water.

When using ointment, wounds should be treated 1-2 times a day. Duration of use – no more than 5 days. If at the same time the patient uses some other means, the result will be more effective. Between courses there is a break of 2 to 6 weeks.

You can cope with pain syndrome with the help of:

• analgesics;
• lidocaine blockades;
• ointments with capsaicin;
• "Amitriptyline."

In the presence of a bacterial infection, it is recommended to treat the disease with antibiotics.

Consequences and complications

When the motor branches of the nerves are damaged, paralysis, movement disorders, and sensory disturbances may occur. From the internal organs there may be complications in the form of pneumonia, hepatitis, damage to the duodenum, bladder, etc.

The consequence of herpes zoster in the ear form of herpes zoster can be inflammation of the auditory nerve, paralysis of the facial nerve, causing the face to skew to one side. A complication of herpes zoster in the ocular form can be damage to the eye, including glaucoma.

A complication of herpes zoster in the gangliocutaneous form can be suppuration in the area of ​​the rash and blood poisoning.

The most common consequence (in 40% of patients) is that even after recovery, pain can persist for several months or years. These pains are called “postherpetic neuralgia.” In 55% of patients with postherpetic neuralgia, the pain lasts a month, in 24% – three months, in the rest – six months or more.

Application of raspberries

Raspberry leaves and berries contain a number of anti-inflammatory substances that can reduce the manifestations of herpes zoster without harm to the body. Raspberries contain acetylsalicylic acid, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic component that can reduce body temperature and suppress moderate pain from shingles.

In addition, raspberry leaves and berries contain vitamins C, PP, B1, B2, B9 and PP, which speeds up the healing of affected areas. Recipes for folk remedies for shingles from raspberries are varied. Various medicinal forms can be prepared from the plant:

• An infusion of flowers in the summer is prepared as follows. One tablespoon of raw material is poured into one glass of hot boiled water. Leave for 20 minutes. Drink one glass 2 times a day.
• Local compresses for pain are prepared from fresh berries. One glass of berries is twisted through a meat grinder to grind the seeds, as they contain salicylic acid. The resulting slurry is applied to the affected area, covered with polyethylene, and bandaged tightly. Keep the compress for at least 3 hours.
• Infusion of leaves. A tablespoon of crushed leaves is immersed in 200 ml of water immediately after it boils. Leave for 20 minutes and drink throughout the day.

The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks. The combined folk method of treating herpes zoster is also popular. After crushing, 500 g of raspberry roots are mixed with the same amount of honey, crushed tops of pine branches (3 tablespoons) are added. The mixture is placed in a jar and stored refrigerated.

Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day in winter. The folk recipe is effective both as part of prevention and in the recovery period after a course of etiotropic treatment of herpes zoster.

Symptoms and signs

Each form of herpes zoster has its own symptoms. Common symptoms for all types of disease are fever, weakness, pain in the areas of future rashes, and rashes. The pain can be either constant aching or stabbing, jerking and paroxysmal.

Symptoms of herpes zoster in the gangliocutaneous form: 1. Increased temperature 2. Signs of general intoxication: weakness, headache, nausea 3. Severe pain at the site of the intended rash, numbness, itching, tingling also occur. 4. After 3-12 days, a characteristic rash appears. The location of the pain and rash is similar to the affected nerves (usually intercostal) and is encircling in nature. The skin first appears redness, swelling, then blisters with transparent contents, then the contents become cloudy. The bubbles dry out and become crusts. These bubbles seem to crawl through the body, encircling the torso on one side. Sometimes there are no bubbles. Then diagnosing shingles is very difficult. Even doctors can confuse it with a heart attack or cholecystitis, based on the patient’s pain

Signs of herpes zoster in the ocular and ear varieties:

1. Increased temperature 2. Signs of general intoxication: weakness, headache, nausea 3. Rashes: in the ocular form, the trigeminal ganglion is affected and the rashes are located along the branches of the trigeminal nerve (on the mucous membranes of the eye, nose, on the skin of the face, on the tip of the nose) . In the auricular form, the geniculate ganglion is involved in the process, and rashes appear on and around the auricle, and can also be in the external auditory canal. Facial paralysis and trigeminal neuralgia may develop.

Symptoms of herpes zoster in the gangrenous form:

The gangrenous form of herpes zoster develops in individuals with very weak immunity. Deep damage to the skin occurs with subsequent formation of scars.

Signs of meningoencephalitic form:

The meningoencephalitic form is rare, with a mortality rate above 60%. This form begins with gangliocutaneous appearances, then symptoms of brain damage appear: movement disorders, hallucinations, loss of consciousness

Traditional treatment

How and with what should shingles be treated in humans? Treatment of shingles should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. Most often in medical treatment, the following scheme is used: 1. Cauterize the lesions with brilliant green - so that there is no suppuration, 2. Take drugs to increase immunity 3. Take antiviral drugs (acyclovir, Zovirax, sfamciclovir). 4. In case of severe pain, drink painkillers, you can use ointment used in the treatment of joints: voltaren, bystrum-gel, fastum-gel - for dried up blisters 5. Take vitamins (C - to increase immunity, B - to treat damaged nerve cells) and minerals (especially zinc)

In addition to drug treatment, traditional treatment for shingles can be used to speed up recovery, but only after the blisters have dried. In the phase of the disease, when they appear on the skin, it is better to use ordinary brilliant green.

You can read about the treatment of herpes with an effective folk remedy here:

Compresses with immortelle

1 tbsp. l. Brew immortelle with 1 cup of boiling water, leave, covered for 1 hour. Moisten a napkin and apply to the sore spot 2 times a day for 10 minutes. You can simply wipe shingles rashes with this infusion

Traditional treatment with elm bark

In May, before flowering, cut off two-year-old elm shoots. Remove the top bark from them. Then carefully remove the light green skin, chop it and dry it in the sun. Brew as tea and drink 1 glass 3 times a day.

How to treat lichen with burdock

2 tbsp. l. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over burdock leaves and leave for 30 minutes. Dampen a cloth and make a compress overnight

Traditional treatment with herbal compresses

To cure shingles, you need to brew any of the bitter herbs: celandine, wormwood, tansy, elecampane, marigold, immortelle (1 tablespoon per 1 glass of boiling water). Moisten a napkin with the infusion and squeeze out the excess. Add a pinch of salt and tie to the sore spot, cover with a towel and insulate with a woolen scarf for 30 minutes.

More information about the treatment of herpes with herbs on our portal:

How to treat herpes zoster with onions

You can dry out shingles blisters by simply using hot, fried onions. Peel the onion, cut off the top, prick with a fork and hold over the fire until it begins to brown. Cool to 30-40 degrees and apply to sore spots. Once it cools down, cut off the used layer of onion and fry the onion again.

Traditional treatment with mustard

Shingles can be successfully treated with a folk remedy such as mustard. The areas of skin where shingles appears must first be lubricated with butter, then with mustard and tied with a cloth.

Pumpkin

How to treat shingles with pumpkin? The pumpkin is grated, the pulp is applied to a cloth and applied to the affected areas. Make this compress for the whole night, every evening. In the folk treatment of shingles, pumpkin seed oil is also used - pumpkinol: for treatment, lubricate the rash 4 times a day

Healing agents

For better healing of burst blisters, the following treatment methods can be used:

• A gauze pad is generously soaked in hydrogen peroxide and the affected areas are carefully lubricated. Treatment is carried out 2-3 times a day.
• Dissolve 1 cup of corn or potato starch in a bath of warm water. The patient is seated in such a way that the injured areas are completely submerged in water. The duration of the procedure should not exceed a quarter of an hour. You are allowed to do 2 such sessions per week.
• Starch can be used a little differently to eliminate the signs of herpes zoster. The powder is simply diluted with boiled water to a paste. The resulting mass is applied to the blisters and left until dry, then shaken off. It is not recommended to wet the skin after this. Thanks to such procedures, the rash will quickly dry out and begin to heal.
• A mixture of alcoholic tinctures of wormwood, tansy, yarrow and marigold will help heal wounds. The ingredients are mixed in equal quantities in one bottle. Before treatment, the treated area is lubricated with burdock, castor or olive oil (to avoid burns), and then a healing mixture is generously applied using a gauze swab.
• To speed up the healing process and relieve the symptoms of pathology, it is recommended to prepare garlic oil. To do this, a head of garlic is passed through a meat grinder. The resulting pulp is transferred to gauze, tied in a knot and the juice is squeezed out. The healing liquid is poured into a glass container, 5 drops of olive oil are added and stirred thoroughly. Use the product to lubricate the affected areas. The procedure is carried out daily in the evenings.
• Traditional treatment is rarely complete without propolis. He will help this time too. To treat herpes zoster, you will need to prepare a tincture based on it. To do this, 20 g of raw material is crushed and poured with a glass of alcohol. The container is tightly closed and stored away from direct rays for a week. During this time, it is recommended to shake the healing composition regularly. Treatment is carried out as follows: dilute 1 tsp in 100 ml of water. tinctures and drink in 1 dose. Two such procedures should be done per day.
• Add 6 tbsp to a warm bath. l. sea ​​salt and 20 drops of 5% potassium iodide. The procedures are done every other day for 20 minutes. This bath has an excellent anti-inflammatory and healing effect, so it will help relieve the symptoms of the disease in the shortest possible time.
• You can quickly get rid of the disease using a mixture of sea salt and soda. The components are mixed in equal quantities and diluted with boiled water until the consistency of sour cream. The finished healing mass is applied in a small layer to the rash for half an hour. It is recommended to conduct such sessions three times a day. The mixture must be prepared immediately before use.
• Regular onions are another remedy that will help with herpes zoster. The head is peeled from the top husk, cut into two parts, baked in the oven and cooled. The prepared onion is ground into a paste and applied to the rash for 15-20 minutes.
• Burdock is an excellent remedy for the symptoms of the disease. The leaves of the plant are crushed, 1 tbsp. l. The resulting raw material is steamed with a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour. Use the potion for daily compresses.

A very common treatment for herpes is apple cider vinegar.