Shingles: Recommendations for Family Members of Patients

     The video above shows that shingles not only affects the individual themselves, but their family members and others around them as well. This post is centered on the family members of patients, or anyone that has close and regular contact with an individual with shingles. 

Preventing the Transmission of Shingles

     When a person with shingles is experiencing an outbreak of rashes, the shingles virus is highly contagious when the sores are weeping.  Avoid direct contact with these sores or blisters in order to prevent contracting the shingles virus.  You do not have to be afraid of an individual when they have shingles! Shingles cannot be spread through cough, sneezing, or casual contact, as noted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

 

Pregnant women who have never had chickenpox
should avoid shingles blisters for the health of themselves
and the fetus

     The following individuals should be extra cautious and avoid close contact with weeping shingles outbreaks:

• Pregnant women, infants, children, or those who have never had chickenpox
• Those that are currently ill
• Those with a suppressed immune system, such as people diagnosed with HIV infection or diabetes

Click here! Talk to your doctor about getting
the chickenpox vaccine

     WebMD emphasizes that the fluid from the blisters can cause chickenpox, but not shingles, in those individuals who have never had chickenpox of who have never gotten the chickenpox vaccine. For those who have never had chickenpox: you can avoid getting chickenpox and later shingles by receiving the chickenpox, or varicella, vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two doses of the vaccine, which are about 98% effective at preventing chickenpox for children, adolescents, and adults. 

     If you have already been exposed to the shingles virus without having a prior case of chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, your healthcare provider may decide to administer the chickenpox vaccine to you. The CDC states that you should get the chickenpox vaccine 3 to 5 days after being exposed to the chickenpox virus to prevent developing the virus. 

Here is a helpful graphic to show the most common areas of shingles rash outbreaks.



Remember to avoid touching areas where blisters have not healed!
Click here for more information
 

 

Assisting with Shingles Treatment

Click here to learn about shingles prevention

    Shingles is treated with several different medications. If your loved one is experiencing a shingles outbreak, you can assist their healing process by helping them seek medical attention to obtain their medications. Pain medication, such as over-the-counter acetaminophen, can also be used to alleviate the pain caused by the shingles rash. 

     As stated in the previous blog post, there are many ways to treat shingles at home. Family members and loved ones can help shingles patients with self-care in several ways. Suggestions include providing a cool compress, soothing lotions, and other topical items to aid in pain relief. Family members can also help the patient de-stress and relax by providing them with items that comfort them, such as a book or calming song album. Keeping stress levels low can help a patient recover and take their mind off of the shingles pain. 

     Family members, and those close to a patient with shingles, can play an integral role in the treatment and recovery of shingles. Look at the resources below for more information about shingles transmission, treatment, and prevention! 

References

Common shingles rash sites. (2011, March 18). LIVESTRONG.COM.

Retrieved October 24, 2014, from

http://www.livestrong.com/article/83201-common- shingles-rash-sites/

Prevent shingles. (2014, August 25). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

            Retrieved October 24, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Shingles/

Protecting yourself from shingles | NIH MedlinePlus the magazine. (n.d.). 

U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 23, 2014, from

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter10/articles/winter

10pg16-17.html

 Vaccines: VPD-VAC/varicella/getting vaccinated after exposed. (2012, April 5). 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved October 20, 2014, from 

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/basic-vacc-after-exposed.htm

Shingles: Self-Care

     As stated in my previous blog post, shingles can be treated through the administration of antiviral medications when early symptoms appear. In addition to taking the proper antiviral medication, there are other ways to help alleviate the pain and prevent further complications of shingles. 

     This blog post will highlight several different self-care procedures that you can use at home. Before we dive into this information, watch the following video to hear about one woman’s experience with shingles: Click Here

     I hope this video helps those who currently have shingles, or have experienced shingles, realize that they are not alone. The woman in the video also began speaking about some of the self-care procedures she used, which we will now discuss, in addition to other methods to help alleviate shingles pain!

 Shingles Self-Care Tips

 

 

Avoid scratching

Try to not scratch!

Do not scratch near rash sites. This will help prevent bacterial infection from occurring, as well as scarring. You can use antihistamines, such as Benadryl, and topical anti-itch creams to help lessen the itching sensation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use a compress

Use a cool compress

You can help dry blisters, and lessen the pain, by applying a cool compress to weeping blisters for 20 minutes throughout the day. Once the blisters are dry, you can stop using this method.

 

 

 

 

Keep clean and comfortable

Wear loose clothing to avoid rash irritation

Using mild soap and water, as well as petroleum jelly afterwards, can help keep the area clean and speed up the healing process. Wear comfortable loose clothing to prevent cloth from rubbing against and further irritating the rash.

 

 

 

Soothe your sores

Ease the pain

Calamine lotion can be applied after using a compress to help the discomfort of shingles rashes. Another interesting method is adding colloidal oatmeal, which is found in pharmacies and department stores, to help relieve the rashes. Cornstarch and baking soda can also help when applied to sores by helping them dry out and heal more quickly.

 

 

Take medication

Talk to your doctor about medication

Aside from the antiviral medications and prescription pain medications, consider talking with your doctor about being able to take nonprescription pain medications to help reduce pain from shingles. Some medicines include acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. You can also talk to your doctor about pain medication creams. You want to discuss adding any medications to your treatment plan with your doctor in order to avoid possible drug interactions and possible overdose of medication!

 

Relax

Do not stress!

Reducing stress levels is an important part of recovering from illness. WebMD notes that stress can impact your quality of life, and offers great tips to relieve stress by reading the following link: Click Here

     Remember,when experiencing shingles sores that are still weeping, it is important to avoid contact with anyone who has never had chickenpox. It is especially imperative to avoid contact with pregnant women who have never had chickenpox. Contact with open sores could pass the chickenpox virus along to those who have not previously had chickenpox. 

 

     For individuals who have already experience shingles but are now going through severe pain from postherpetic neuralgia, you should consult with your doctor about alternative treatment plans and the possibility of seeing a pain management specialist. Postherpetic neuralgia, as opposed to shingles itself, requires a different set of treatment methods.

     This link has an informative graphic that shows the progression of shingles: Click Here. According to Medline Plus, shingles blisters and pimples take about two to four weeks to heal. The pain caused by shingles can also last for about two to four weeks. By following the advice listed above, you can help aide your own recovery process. 

References

Shingles. (n.d.). NIHSeniorHealth:. Retrieved October 4, 2014, from

     

     http://nihseniorhealth.gov/shingles/treatment/01.ht

Shingles. (n.d.). Definition. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org

     /diseases-conditions/shingles/basics/definition/con-20019574 

Shingles - aftercare: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). U.S National Library of 

     Medicine. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/

     patientinstructions/000560.htm

Shingles causes, symptoms, treatment - shingles symptoms and signs - 

     eMedicineHealth. (n.d.). eMedicineHealth. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from 

     http://www.emedicinehealth.com/shingles

Shingles center: symptoms, shingles rash pictures, vaccine, medication, causes, and tests. 

     (n.d.).  WebMD. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/skin-

     problems-and-treatments/shingles/default.htm

 Treatment for shingles blisters. (2013, October 24). LIVESTRONG.COM. 

     Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/15923-treatment-

     shingles-blisters/