Mangosteen Help For Combating Shingles Attacks Names can surely be deceiving, for who would have thought that a disease innocently named as shingles actually pertains to a chickenpox-like disease known as herpes zoster? Shingles or herpes zoster is basically caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus. When a person contracts chickenpox, the virus does not totally leave his body. It stays dormant for many years, until it finds an opportunity to re-attack the body and reappear as shingles. This often happens to immunocompromised individuals, as not all people who had chickenpox in the past will develop shingles later in their lives. Also, it follows that people who had not been afflicted with chickenpox before have no chance to develop herpes zoster. Causes &
Predisposing Factors
As mentioned before, the
single known
cause of herpes zoster is the reactivation
of the varicella zoster
virus. However, nobody exactly knows why
the virus is reactivated,
though there are some speculations as to
the reason behind the “waking
up” of the virus. Stress and fatigue are two of the main predisposing factors being looked upon in shingles. Also, a weakened immune system can also be another factor, since the body is not fit to keep the virus at bay if its immune system is compromised. An example of a circumstance in which the body cannot fight the virus is during times of illness. When the body is also undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy, such as in the treatment of cancer, the immune system also becomes suppressed, thus paving the way for the virus to wake up from its dormant state. Symptoms
Shingles
is
generally a disease of the nervous system,
because it affects the nerve
cell bodies. Shingles
initially starts with non-specific
symptoms, such as fever, malaise,
and headache,
which can be experienced
in almost any other type of disease.
However, the first herpes
zoster-specific symptom is pain on just
one side of the body. The
sensations used to describe this one-sided
pain are numbing, aching,
stinging, tingling, shooting, and
throbbing. Oftentimes, this pain is
punctuated by short moments of “lightning
bolt” pain. After about three days, the person will already notice rashes starting to cover one side of his body. Remember that these rashes follow the nerve pathways, so that it only appears unilaterally. These rashes start at the torso, and then spread to the other parts of the body, such as the face and the extremities. The appearance of the rashes typically looks like hives – red, raised bumps. Later on, the rashes develop into pus-filled blisters, and in about two to three weeks, they will begin to crust and form into scabs. Scarring may happen especially if the blisters are severe. Treatment
Since the disease is
caused by a virus, shingles
is self-limiting. However, you can still
take antiviral drugs early
during the course of the disease, since
that is the time that it is
most effective. Antiviral medications that are often prescribed for patients with shingles include acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. Unfortunately, these medications do not entirely cure the disease; it only shortens its duration and lessens the severity of its symptoms. These drugs are no longer effective if taken during the latter part of the disease, so make sure that you consult your doctor right away when you start feeling the symptoms. There are also traditional ways to manage shingles. First of all, it is important to avoid scratching the rashes. Just like chickenpox, shingles rashes can be very itchy, but scratching them will only increase the risk of those rashes getting infected. Moreover, it might lead to scarring once the blisters heal. The person with shingles can use oral or topical antihistamines in order to relieve itching and decrease inflammation. It is also necessary to have pain medications on hand. Most of the time, doctors only prescribe pain medications since herpes zoster resolves by itself in 2 to 3 weeks. Examples of these analgesics include acetaminophen and ibuprofen. These are also prescribed not just for the shingles rash itself, but also for postherpetic neuralgia, which is the pain felt by people with shingles even after the rashes have gone. In order to speed up the crusting process, tap water compresses may help. These should be applied to fresh blisters for about 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Aside from drying the blisters, these compresses can also soothe the itch, remove the scabs, and decrease the risk of incurring secondary bacterial infections. However, watch out for excessive dryness of the skin, as continuous application of tap water compresses long after the blisters have crusted can make the skin dry and itchy. Finally, nothing beats hygiene in trying to recover from a disease caused by microorganisms. Simply washing the affected area with soap and water can help in the healing process. Moreover, one can also apply petroleum jelly to the rashes. Clothes worn should be loose enough to avoid rubbing against the rashes and making them itchier and more painful. To avoid further complications, do not expose yourself to ill people, since your immune system is weak and cannot vigilantly defend your body. Natural Supplements
There had been many
testimonials regarding the
effectiveness of mangosteen
supplements in the treatment of shingles.
Because shingles
is not exactly a one-time disease and
recurs every time the immune
system is suppressed, it is very hard to
deal with it. Taking mangosteen supplements
can reputedly help keep shingles in
remission, as what was stated in various
testimonies from shingles
patients. Aside from being able to help treat shingles, mangosteen also has analgesic properties. Since is a painful disease, this shinglespain-relieving property of mangosteen can help a person with shingles manage pain. Also, it will avoid dependence to certain analgesics. Among all the different forms of mangosteen supplements, the freeze dried or powdered form is the most advisable because it is 100% concentrated. One can be very certain that he gets all the nutrients that mangosteen has to offer because there are no preservatives added to the mangosteen powder. Moreover, it is less expensive than other forms. Mangosteen supplements are obviously less expensive and more natural than drugs prescribed for shingles, so why not give them a try?
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