Shingles is a resurgence of the chicken pox virus (varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the body. When you have had the chickenpox virus it becomes dormant and hides in the body, particularly the nerves. (1)
As a clinical naturopath (ANPA), medical herbalist, medical nutritionist, and mental health professional (PACFA), I help you recover from shingles.
Shingles generally occurs in older people but can also appear in younger people occasionally. It also doesn’t discriminate, you may think you are super fit, but if the conditions are right, and you carry the VZV, you may develop shingles.
Whilst there are chicken pox and shingles vaccines you can still develop both conditions. Many people choose not to have those vaccines due to potential mild and sometimes serious side effects.
It’s important here to say that you cannot catch shingles as it isn’t contagious. If you are in the active stage however you should not mix with people who haven’t had chicken pox, particularly pregnant women, because they can contract the varicella-zoster virus which can give rise to complications.
How do I know if I have shingles?
Your skin can become very hot, itchy and painful, developing red sores, blisters, pustules, scabs on your body, limbs, head scalp, and face as the sores bleed. You may get a fever, headache, be unable to concentrate and have fatigue. You really want to scratch your skin – but don’t as it will leave scars and causes infection. Without the right treatment you may also develop scares and infection. (2)
Sleeping can be difficult because of the heat rising in your body can make it very uncomfortable in bed at night, particularly if it’s summer or you are sleeping in a hot room.
The physical effects can also make you very distressed and depressed mentally and emotionally because you wonder if discomfort will ever end.
It’s a strange illness because the pattern of those skin eruptions can go in lines and appear in different parts of the body as it progresses. Your spine area can feel hot as that’s a major center for nerves reactions. In some cases, sever spinal infection can cause meningitis or stroke.
What are the complications of shingles?
You’re advised to rest and not work because being stressed increases the physical symptoms and prolongs the illness. Stress weakens your immune system and leaves you more open to complications.
Because there are many open wounds it leaves you susceptible to infection of the skin and scalp, particularly from staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which must be treated. If it’s left, it can run, there is danger of becoming systemic and spreading to other parts of the body.
Nerve damage (postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can mean that some people may feel pain for up to a year or two. Lots of nerves can be damaged by shingles in the face, particularly the trigeminal nerves or body if it’s not treated. (3)
Its also important to take care of the microbiome in your gut that contains both your good and bad bacteria. Research has indicated the activation of the VZV may be largely due to disturbances in your gut where much of your nerve and immune functions are activated.
How long do shingles last?
That depends on whether you have a mild or sever case. It can be anything for four weeks to months depending on what you do when it occurs.
The illness progresses through the stages the prodromal, active, and healing. (4) The prodromal stage is when the rash occurs and when you get the pain, itching and burning. The active period is when you get the blistering which can be few weeks later. The healing stage Is when you get the scabs, and the body starts to heal but remember this can happen in different parts of the body at different times.
The infectious period may be from a week to three weeks depending on your case. The demand on your body means you have a compromised immune system. What you do next determines the course of the illness.
For some people shingles can lead to extreme fatigue after the illness has subsided. This may last for few months or years and is a form of chronic fatigue syndrome
What do I do when I get Shingles?
Rest is the most important thing. If you are younger, you may want to get back to work as soon as possible but the less you rest the worse the illness. If you have a preexisting other conditions shingles may make that conditions worse. (5)
It is estimated that one in three people will develop shingles particularly those of 70 years of age. A small number of people may even die of shingles complications.
Cancel in-person appointments for at least 6 weeks. Shingles happens because your body is stressed, tied, your immune system is weak, and you need deep rest and convalescence.
I know it sounds challenging when you may have difficulty sleeping but the more you sleep, rest and nap the more you give the opportunity to your body to recover and repair. Whether it’s in bed, a chair or dossing on the sofa, it doesn’t matter.
Stay cool in bed so that heat is not reflected onto your body making the inflammation and discomfort worse. Use cotton sheets, and cloths to reduce the heat on your body and it is gentler to your skin.
Seek advice from a health professional. As a clinical naturopath I always take people down the path of nutrition, herbs, supplements and natural healing. This supports your body’s ability to heal rather than ploughing it with chemicals that give it even more challenges when it really needs all the energy it can get to heal.
Shingles treatment plan
When I work with you, we will make a complete treatment plan. I’m great believer in giving patients lots of information on what, and when to do something and why you need to do that.
If you have any medical conditions or are taking medication, those are considered when we make the treatment plan. If you’re under special care I may, of course with your permission, consult with your specialist.
It’s very important you follow the treatment plan, which is scientifically and researched based, to give you maximum recovery.
That includes diet, natural medication, what to put on your skin and how to handle any complications that may occur. I also prepare you to handle shingles mentally because it does have an effect of your mental wellbeing.
Dr Tracie O’Keefe DCH, BHSc, ND is a Clinical Naturopath (ANPA) & Nutritional Medicine, Orthomolecular Practitioner, Medical Herbalist, PACFA Registered Mental Health Professional. Make an appointment with Dr Tracie O’Keefe for naturopathic medicine. Call 0403 398808 now. In clinic visits or via the internet from anywhere in the world.
References
(1) Nair, P. A., & Patel, B. C. (2023). Herpes zoster. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441824/
(2) Fan, H.-R., Zhang, E.-M., Fei, Y., Huang, B., & Yao, M. (2023). Early diagnosis of herpes zoster neuralgia: A narrative review. Frontiers in Neurology, 14, 1189295. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1189295
(3) Giannelos, N., Curran, D., Nguyen, C., Kagia, C., Vroom, N., & Vroling, H. (2022). The incidence of herpes zoster complications: A systematic literature review. BMC Infectious Diseases, 22, 784. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07753-0
(4) Riaz, M. T., Ilyas, A., Rehman, A., & Muqeet, M. (2022). Herpes zoster: A review of clinical manifestations and management. Cureus, 14(2), e22270. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22270
(5) Steinmann, M., Lampe, D., Grosser, J., Schmidt, J., Hohoff, M. L., Fischer, A., & Greiner, W. (2024). Risk factors for herpes zoster infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis unveiling common trends and heterogeneity patterns. Infection, 52(3), 1009–1026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-023-02156-y
