11 Ways to Prevent Herpes Zoster You Can Try At Home

Herpes zoster, better known as snake pox or fire pox is one of a kind of skin disease characterized by reddish blisters and filled with fluid in certain parts of the body such as the characteristics of herpes on the lips. This type of herpes lasts for a long time and the virus can last a lifetime in the body. There are many types of herpes drugs, ranging from natural ingredients (herbal medicines) and chemical (medical) drugs from doctors to relieve symptoms and shorten their appearance.

If you have had chickenpox, it is usually possible to experience shingles or chickenpox. People with herpes zoster will experience redness (bumps filled with water) redness in certain body parts that are painful. There are several differences in herpes zoster and genital herpes.

Postherpetic neuralgia usually appears in people who have suffered from herpes zoster as a type of complication. The spread of herpes simplex disease is different from herpes zoster. This condition generally occurs when the nerve of the patient is damaged by herpes zoster because it cannot send signals from the skin to the brain. The patient’s body will experience confusion in impulse delivery so that it will feel severe pain and lasts monthly or even yearly.

Elderly patients above 60 years have a high risk, while the age of 70 years and over is at higher risk. Patients who have low immunity such as those with HIV infection and Hodgkin’s lymphoma also have a high risk of suffering from shingles. Based on a study from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the incidence of herpes zoster is 15 times greater in people with HIV than the normal population.

There are various types of herpes with different symptoms too. Symptoms of herpes zoster are similar to symptoms of chickenpox, including a rash accompanied by resilience in groups on one side only; a rash that starts with a red lump, then turns into a swelling that is slightly runny and ends up becoming a dry crust (looks like a small swarm of chicken pox); pain, itching, and tingling in the rash that also applies to parts of the body when a new rash will appear; fever; headache; chills; fatigue; and sensitive to light. Here are some ways to prevent herpes zoster that can be done to avoid this disease.

Prevention

Currently, a vaccine is available to prevent the occurrence of herpes zoster and protect the body from the possibility of postherpetic neuralgia called Zostavax. This vaccine can prevent the occurrence of herpes zoster in someone around 50%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that this vaccine be given to adults over the age of 60, except those who have immune system deficiencies because this vaccine contains live viruses.

Zostavax is different from the smallpox vaccine which is usually given to infants and toddlers aged less than 2 years. The zostafax vaccine contains 14 times more than the smallpox virus in children so that this vaccine should not be given to children.

The pain felt by postherpetic neuralgia sufferers can be cured and prevented. Most pain can disappear in one to two months, whereas in certain patients the pain can last up to more than a year. People over the age of 60 can take precautions by injecting a vaccine for shingles.

If you have or are suffering from this disease, you do not need to worry because there are many alternative medicines that can be chosen. Patients must be patient because treating pain due to postherpetic neuralgia requires a short time.

Chickenpox vaccine or varicella immunization for children can prevent severe symptoms of herpes zoster and the complications it causes. Not only children, adults who have never had chickenpox also need to do this vaccine to really avoid disease.

Parents who have reached the age of 50 also need to carry out a herpes zoster vaccine known as varicella zoster immunization. This vaccine will prevent the severity of symptoms and complications due to shingles. The spread of infection due to the zoster virus can be done in several ways to prevent the following herpes zoster which is actually easier to do. Here is the explanation.

1. Must avoid contact with people who have never been exposed to chickenpox and have a weak immune system.
2. Diligently wash your hands with soap, especially after urinating from the toilet and before eating.
3. Must maintain immunity to stay good by implementing a healthy lifestyle that consists of consuming nutritious foods and drinks, adequate rest, reducing stress or other psychological disorders, and regular exercise.
4. If you have never had chickenpox, you should not be close to people who are experiencing it. Keep your distance so that physical contact does not occur, such as touching your hands with sufferers. Viruses can spread from herpes zoster sufferers to others who have never been exposed to smallpox, especially direct contact with a rash or reddish lesions, be it intentionally or accidentally. Even contact with patient fluids such as sweat can catch this disease, at least getting chickenpox instead of shingles.
5. If you are experiencing herpes zoster, you should wash your hands frequently or cleanse your body so that this disease does not spread to other parts of the body. Look carefully at the body condition so that the disease does not last long because it will feel very painful.
6. Keep your immune system from declining so that the virus is difficult to infect the body, especially if there are family members affected.
7. Wash various items touched by the sufferer with hot water (boiling) so that the virus does not spread widely to other people, especially other members of the house.
8. Take care of the skin to stay healthy by consuming supplements containing vitamin E and using a cream or lotion so that the skin’s moisture is maintained.
9. This virus can also spread widely through sneezing, coughing, and skin lesions (wounds or stains on the skin). Before a watery lump appears, the sufferer can usually pass on herpes to other people.
10. Reddish or rash on the skin should not be scratched when itching because it can cause wounds that are easily infected and try to prevent the virus from getting to the nails because it easily spreads anywhere including through objects held.
11. Patients should wear long-sleeved clothing if the rash or herpes lump is in their hands or wear long pants if the lump is on their feet. Why is that? Because viruses can fly or spread through the air so that it is easily transmitted to anyone, especially the closest people who are in the same house.

Ways of Medical Treatment

Not only is the method of prevention, anyone must know how to cure herpes zoster because not knowing how to treat it will make you or patients near you suffer for a longer time. A sufferer should consult a doctor immediately when seeing various symptoms that show herpes zoster. Doctors know more about the condition of their patients after making a diagnosis and analysis. The doctor immediately takes the best treatment according to the conditions to prevent more severe and unwanted conditions. Doctors usually prioritize patients who have had chickenpox because the chances of the virus being reactivated are getting bigger.

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How to Treat at Home

Not only getting treatment from a doctor but actually, sufferers can also use various natural herpes (herbal) drugs at home. Various home treatments can be combined with treatment from a doctor so the results max. The application of home remedies and natural herpes drugs is not enough because doctors need to evaluate the patient’s condition so that various symptoms can be removed. Vice versa, just relying on medical drugs without being accompanied by home care and natural medicines (herbs) will slow down the healing process. Various home remedies and natural zoster herpes drugs that can be tried at home include adequate rest to restore immunity or body strength, compress rashes or blisters by using cold water to reduce pain and itching and use calamine lotion to reduce itching.

Various natural remedies and home treatments can be used to relieve symptoms of shingles. This condition will disappear within a few weeks and rarely recur. Symptoms of herpes zoster that do not go away or diminish within 10 days mean that the disease is classified as stubborn or severe so you should immediately consult a doctor for further examination. The type of treatment that is commonly given is antiviral. This drug cannot remove the virus but can stop the proliferation of viruses causing herpes in the body.

Types of antiviral drugs to treat herpes include Aciclovir, famciclovir, and valaciclovir. The antiviral is in the form of tablets, ointments, and eye drops that are used according to the purpose and place of application. Aciclovir is usually consumed 5 times a day. Famciclovir and valaciclovir are derivatives of aciclovir with the use of doses only 3 times a day.

This disease cannot be completely cured but can be prevented and treated so as not to relapse in a short time. Health and endurance must be maintained to prevent and treat herpes. Consumption of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12 can also be done to improve and maintain endurance. Those are some things that can be done to avoid and recover from herpes zoster which, of course, is uncomfortable. Have a healthy life and avoid various types of diseases!