Best Ways to Treat Rash and Itchiness Due to Shingles
Shingles, medically known as herpes zoster, can cause rashes with tremendous pain. The viral infection is the reason of varicella-zoster that also causes chickenpox. Once you had chickenpox in your childhood, this virus will stay dormant in you and cause severe rashes with pain which is also called shingles later on in your life. According to a report, almost one out of three people in the country will get shingles at least once in their lifetime. You cannot do anything that will make the shingles go away instantly. Moreover, you can take measures by which you can make life a whole lot easier for yourself. Shingles generally last for two to four weeks and appear with rashes that will pain, itch, and burn, giving you the kind of discomfort that you have never felt before. The symptoms of shingles can be very hard to get rid of. However, following certain measures could really help your cause.
Treating rash and itchiness due to shingles
Your topmost priority should be when you are looking for shingles rash treatments to get relieved from the itchiness and pain. If you can do that then you will be able to stop shingles from affecting your day to day life. Here are some of the things you can look to do.
Take an oatmeal bath: Taking an oatmeal bath can certainly provide you with the relief you want from shingles. You just have to dip into the cold water. In that water add some colloidal oatmeal. This is made from the oats which have been grounded very finely and made into a powder. This is one of those soothing baths that could really calm the itchiness and provide you with relief from shingles. This is arguably one of the best shingles rash treatments that one could ever look forward to.
Cold compress: When you are experiencing pain and a burning sensation due to shingles then cold compress could of one those shingles rash treatments that could really help your cause. You have to take a washcloth and wet it with cool water. After that, you need to place it on the blisters for around 20 minutes or so. You have to place the cloth once at a time. This will not only help to stop that burning sensation but will also help you to keep your blisters clean. This will surely help you to avoid any skin infection due to shingles and also before you try it out, make note of the following points:
- You should stop using cold compress if your blisters stop oozing.
- You should be using cold compress when you are using any patches or creams on the rash.
Loose fitting clothes: Many like to wear clothes that are tight-fitting. However, wearing tight-fitting clothes when you have shingles could aggravate the situation. You also can’t wear clothes that are made from polyesters because the chemical might react with your skin to worsen the already damaged skin. The clothes that will suit you the most are loose-fitting and relaxed clothes made from natural fibers and provide you with the comfort of wearing it. If you are also looking to cover the blisters then you would also need to avoid using bandages and use soft clothes which will not stick to your rashes instead.
Treat your mind along with your rashes: These blisters and the pain associated with it can really break someone down physically as well as mentally. That is why only physical treatment will not be enough to get your normal life back. You would also have to treat your mind. You need to make yourself psychologically strong that you can handle the pressure of the pain with any problem. Make sure that when you are taking shingles rash treatments , you are also taking care of the mental aspect of your life which is important as well.
Stick to habits that are good for your health: One of the best shingles rash treatments you can look forward to is keeping or creating habits that are good for you. These habits will certainly help you to fight against the virus that causes shingles. Those habits are:
- Eat nutritious and fresh foods
- Sleep well at night
- Exercise every day to keep burning the calories and live an active lifestyle
These are some of the most effective ways to get rid of shingles from your body. But do remember that you can only stop the symptoms of shingles. With time it will go away on its own.