Find shingles relief with homemade remedies

About 20 per cent of people who had chicken pox will later develop shingles, usually when they're over age 50. The infection causes a burning, blistering rash and, often, mild to severe pain that can last for several weeks, but here's help.

Shingles occur when the chicken pox virus finds its way to your nervous system. You may have no symptoms for years. But the minute your immune system is compromised by age, disease or stress, you can break out in a burning, painful rash that leaves you itching all over. You will need medical care to deal with the condition, but lots of rest and natural remedies can help speed the healing process.

• Clay or healing earth poultices alleviate pain and dry up blisters. Stir the clay or healing earth with a little water to form a thick paste, spread it finger-thick on a cloth, cover with gauze, and apply, cloth-side down, on the rash. Replace the pack as soon as it warms up. Apply twice daily.
• Try various essential oils to alleviate pain. Mix two drops each of bergamot and eucalyptus oils and 25 millilitres (two tablespoons) of almond oil. Use a cotton ball to dab the mixture onto the blisters.
• Apply linen cloths soaked in soothing chamomile or yarrow tea to the rash.
• Dribble a little St. John's wort or tea tree oil on a linen cloth and apply to the affected skin for 30 minutes to aid healing.
• Blisters heal more quickly when they are sprinkled with a little diluted tincture of pot marigold (one part tincture, four parts water).

Shingles is the product of the herpes zoster virus. If you have a rash on your forehead or anywhere near your eyes, see a doctor immediately to avoid the risk of damaging your corneas. Although you can always expect some pain — unfortunately it comes with the condition — if the pain is unbearable, it could indicate the presence of nerve damage (post-zoster neuralgia). Seek medical help. Home remedies can support your doctor's treatment. Equally important is plenty of rest — physical exertion can serve to reinforce the problem.