What Is Shingles

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. This chickenpox virus is called varicella zoster. Whereas the herpes zoster viral outbreak is referred to as Shingles. You cannot develop shingles unless you have had a previous infection of chickenpox (usually as a child). Shingles is most common in people over 60 years of age, but can occur in people as young as 3 years old.

After you recover from chickenpox, the chickenpox virus becomes dormant and remains in your body; it goes to and remains in the roots of your nerve cells (near the spinal cord). Later, when the chickenpox virus is reactivated, the symptoms are called shingles. What causes the reactivation of the virus is still not medically known. However, it is believed that a weakened immune system seems to allow reactivation of the virus. This may occur with immune-suppressing medications, with another illness, or after major surgery. Immune system booster supplements can also help reduce the symptoms of shingles as well as prevent reoccurrence.

It is also seen as a complication of cancer or AIDS. Advancing age, cortisone-type drugs, and the stress of major surgery may trigger a shingles outbreak. The virus may also become active again after trauma to the skin from injury or sunburn. Additionally, emotional stress has been linked to trigger an outbreak.

Certain foods have been linked to Shingles outbreaks. Some foods containing the amino acid L-Arginine have been proven to aggravate the virus and prolong healing of shingles. Conversely foods containing the amino acid L-Lysine have been proven to help reduce and prevent shingles outbreaks. L-Lysine food supplements can greatly reduce the outbreak period and help prevent future outbreaks.

What are the Symptoms of Shingles

The first symptoms of shingles are often burning, sharp pain, tingling, or numbness in or under your skin on one side of your body or face. Shingles most commonly appears on the back or upper abdomen and sometimes on the facial area. You may have severe itching or aching rather than pain. You also may feel tired and ill with fever, chills, headache, and an upset stomach. After several days, you will notice a rash of small, clear, fluid-filled blisters on reddened skin. Within 3-7 days after they appear, the blisters often turn yellow, then dry and crust over.

Because they tend to follow nerve paths, the blisters are usually found in a line, often extending from the back or flank around to the abdomen, just on one side. Shingles never crosses the midline of the body. The word shingles comes from the Latin word for belt or girdle. The rash also may appear on one side of your face. Some people have painful eye inflammations and infections.

Can I Pass Shingles on to Someone Else

Shingles is not transmittable to persons who have already had the chicken pox virus, however a person with shingles can transmit chickenpox to a person who has never had the virus. There are virus particles in the blister fluid.  If you have shingles, avoid contact with infants, children, pregnant women, and adults who have never had chickenpox until your blisters are completely dry.

What is the Relationship Between Chickenpox and Shingles?

When children (or adults) catch chickenpox, they contract the varicella-zoster virus. After the symptoms disappear, the virus "hibernates" in certain nerve cells within the body. During this period of hibernation, the virus causes no symptoms. For many people, this marks the end of chickenpox and problems caused by primary infection with the varicella-zoster virus. Unfortunately, the virus reactivates in some people causing shingles, a skin outbreak that is different from chickenpox. Why some people get shingles and others do not is not fully understood. The immune system and stress can play a role in shingles outbreaks.

What Causes Shingles?

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in your nerve roots. In some people, it stays dormant for the rest of their lives. In others, the virus can be reactivated when the immune system is weakened, possibly by disease, aging, or stress.

How serious is shingles?

In patients with normal immune systems, shingles rarely leads to hospitalization, usually clears up in a few weeks, and seldom recurs.

However, there are several complications that you should know about. The first is called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN.

People with PHN have pain that lasts for weeks, months, or even years after the skin outbreak has healed. Using medicine in the early stages of shingles may help reduce the duration of PHN. Another complication is that the blisters can become infected by bacteria. You should suspect this has happened if the pain and redness suddenly become worse or go away and then return. Antibiotics may be necessary to treat these bacterial infections. Shingles carries a risk of scarring the skin if the blisters become infected with bacteria.

Shingles can also get into the eyes and cause permanent damage.

Your doctor may suggest medications to reduce inflammation and help you cope with the pain. Painkillers such as aspirin or acetaminophen can alleviate mild pain.  Similar drugs, such as Valtrex or Famvir, can also be used. The use of steroids to reduce inflammation and potentially postherpetic neuralgia is controversial.  If the area becomes infected by bacteria, antibiotics can keep the infection under control. For the pain that lingers after lesions have healed, your doctor may prescribe a tricyclic antidepressant or a seizure medicine, which in small doses help relieve pain.

The amino acid L-Lysine is often taken along with an external treatment to help reduce the time a shingles outbreak last and to prevent future shingles outbreaks.

You can shorten, limit and prevent outbreaks by using antiviral extracts and medications.

Our Dermisil for Shingles Products

Our products work fastest and are most effective when used in combination with eachother. You can greatly speed your healing by using our triple-strike combination of:

• Dermisil for Shingles to eliminate an outbreak quickly
• Dermisil L-Lysine to aid in systemic healing of the shingles outbreak and speed healing, also to reduce frequency and severity of future outbreaks
• Dermisil for Shingles Daily to prevent future outbreaks

With our Triple-Strike combination, you can eliminate your current outbreak fast and be outbreak-free!

Dermisil for Shingles Super Pack MONTHLY SPECIAL details: With your first order, you will receive one month's supply of L-Lysine and Dermisil for Shingles Daily (10 ml), and we will include our Dermisil for Shingles (10 ml) absolutely FREE! Then, every month we will automatically send you your supply of L-Lysine and Dermisil for Shingles Daily at the same low price of $34.95. That's just over $1 a day to keep shingles outbreaks away!