SHINGLES
Shingles or herpes zoster, is a painful and sometimes itchy skin rash. It is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes Chickenpox. Shingles appear when the varicella zoster virus starts up again in your body. After you get better from chickenpox, the virus becomes dormant in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant forever. In others, the virus "wakes up" when the immune system is weakened. It is not clear why this happens. After the virus becomes active again, it can only cause shingles, not chickenpox.
Shingles is most common in older adults and people who have weak immune systems because of stress, injury, certain medicines, or other reasons, but anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles. Most people who get shingles will get better and will not get it again. But it is possible to get shingles more than once.
Symptoms:
Shingles develop in several stages.
- Headache and/or sensitivity to light. Feeling of flu, without fever. Could feel dizzy or weak.
- Itching, tingling, or pain in a certain area.
- Small bumps (rash) appear on the skin 2-4 days later, in this same area.
- Bumps become blisters.
- Lesions occur in which pus-filled blisters break open.
- Lesions crust over.
- Skin heals, but symptoms of itching and nerve pain may continue for 2-4 weeks.
Essential Oil Help:
Shingles can be tricky. Keeping your immune system in check is important, even if you think you may have gotten rid of it. If a rash is still present, the virus is still trying to exit the body. Consider taking herbs and essential oils that will stimulate your immune system, like our Immunity Blend. Treat the virus internally, and treat externally, for rash, etc.
Build the immune system:
- Eat healthy food; follow this link to read about healthy foods: http://www.theresanoilf
orthat.blogspot.com/search/ label/Healthy%20Diet - Increase Vitamin C intake.(Consider an Herbal Tea with lots of Vit. C)
- Consider adding the Chaga mushroom to your diet. (You can read more about it here.)
Infection help: Take Oregano Internally:
- Add 3 drops Oregano oil to a capsule and fill with carrier oil. Take 2x daily, morning and night. DO NOT USE IN THE EYE!
- Use Oregano 7-10 days on and then take a few days off, as the high Carvacrol content in oregano can cause liver toxicity build up. (Preferably start out with an undiluted, Wild Oregano with at least 75% carvacrol or above, for best results)
- We suggest to take a liver cleanse while using Oregano.
- 1 drop Lemon
- 1 drop Peppermint
- 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon juice
- Mix together and take upon rising each morning.
External Pain Help:
When dealing with nerve issues and pain, you must use an essential oil called Helichrysum Italicum. Unfortunately it can be costly, but well worth it. A little goes a long way, so you won't need much. This can be added to other oils and then a cream or herbal oil to spread onto the body. Here is a recipe to massage onto the neck and back that may help. You can tweak it to make it your own:
- 6 drops Ravintsara
- 2 drops Helichrysum
- 2 drops Geranium
- 2 drops Rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons Arnica Herbal Oil (Arnica Montana) (NOT ESSENTIAL OIL-This aids in diluting the oils, helps to spread it on, and helps pain) OR use 2 Tablespoons Tamanu Herbal oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) to dilute. Both have beneficial properties.
Rub the above mixture on several times a day. Some people have found relief without the herbal oils, and undiluted because they like it more dried out. (Find what works best and go for it) Be sure to follow the links to each ingredient and use the same botanical names.
