Herbs for Shingles Relief and Skin Repair

Shingles outbreaks may seem random, but they typically appear when an immune system, already compromised by a childhood bout of chicken pox, is severely stressed. A shingles, or herpes zoster, infection is considered a re-expression of varicella zoster, the virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone that has suffered chicken pox likely harbors the activating pathogen.

Emotional stress, physical stress (from chemotherapy, for example) or severe sickness can beleaguer the immune system enough to initiate an outbreak of this painful skin rash, remark researchers in Reviews of Medical Virology.

Unfortunately, analysis of clinical trials shows that using the conventionally prescribed shingles vaccine can be relatively ineffective, reports Dr. David Brownstein, medical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine, in West Bloomfield, Michigan. For prevention, he suggests keeping one’s immune system strong through a good diet that is free of refined foods. In case of an outbreak, he has found injections of vitamin C and acupressure techniques designed to eliminate allergies are both helpful in treating shingles and, along with vitamin B12, the potential complication of post-herpetic neuralgia.

Clinical researchers at Nature’s Rite supported by the Antisepsis Research Institute at KlearLabs, of Boulder, Colorado, have found that a simpler and less costly solution is to topically apply a combination of targeted herbs to affected areas that will kill the virus, ease pain and help repair skin where the virus is replicating. They found that this could significantly reduce the duration and intensity of an outbreak.

A study published in the journal Archives of Virology supports the premise that natural antiviral herbs like poke and lemon balm, plus humic acid, a derivative of soil, can be effective in resisting the shingles virus and reducing skin damage. Willow, lavender, passionflower and arnica work to reduce associated pain. Comfrey and aloe vera are known mainstays for gentle repair of badly damaged skin.

For more information on Natures’ Rite Shingles Relief topical salve, combining all of the herbs described, call 888-465-4404 or visit NaturesRiteRemedies.com.

Tags: health, holistic