Shingles, chickenpox and the Herpes Virus

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Shingles, Chickenpox and the Herpes Virus

 

Shingles is chicken pox returned to haunt you.Like that most common of childhood

illnesses, shingles is caused by the herpes virus. After chicken pox clears up,

the virus remains in the body, lying dormant in nerve cells.

 

For reasons that remain a mystery, it can reemerge decades later as shingles.

 

Symptoms include a painful rash that usually appears on the torso or face. After

a few days, chicken pox & shy;like blisters form, then they crust over and

eventually heal after two or three weeks. So far it sounds a lot like the

childhood disease.

 

In about half of those who develop shingles, however, the pain persists for

months and sometimes years. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. Frequently,

the pain is quite severe.

 

Shingles is especially common in people over 60 or those with poor immune

function, such as people who are undergoing cancer chemotherapy. If you develop

shingles, you should see your doctor immediately for treatment.

 

Green Pharmacy for Chickenpox/Shingles

 

Nature has given us several herbs that can help treat viral illnesses. If I

developed shingles, I would try any of these approaches.

 

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Herbalists recommend many herbs that are

members of the mint family, especially lemon balm, or melissa, to treat

chickenpox and the herpes virus. There's good reason for this.

 

Lemon balm has been proven to have some effect on viruses of the herpes family.

Varro Tyler, Ph.D., dean and professor emeritus of pharmacognosy (natural

product pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, suggests

using lemon balm to treat viral infections.

 

Herpes cold sores are caused by a virus that behaves much like the virus that

causes shingles; in fact, both viruses belong to the same genus.

 

In one well-designed study of 116 people with herpes sores, a lemon balm

(melissa) cream healed the sores substantially better than an inactive cream (a

placebo). One European anti-herpes product contains 700 milligrams of lemon balm

leaf extract per gram of cream-based ointment.

 

It has been shown to shorten the healing time of herpes sores by several days.

You can achieve a similar effect, according to Dr. Tyler, from a tea made with

two teaspoons of dried leaf per cup of boiling water. Apply the tea directly to

the rash with a cotton pad several times daily.

 

For either chickenpox or shingles, I'd suggest trying a mixed mint tea made with

lots of lemon balm plus any other mints that you have on hand: hyssop, oregano,

peppermint, rosemary, sage, self-heal, spearmint or thyme. Put a little licorice

in the tea as well. Such a beverage would contain quite a few antiviral,

anti-herpetic compounds. I suggest drinking the tea as well as applying it

directly to the rash.

 

 

Lemon Balm

This herb, a member of the mint family, helps combat the herpes viruses that

cause chickenpox and shingles..

 

Red pepper (Capsicum, various species). The fiery ingredient in red pepper,

capsaicin, is the hottest thing going for postherpetic neuralgia.

 

Capsaicin brings relief by blocking pain signals from nerves just under the

skin. Studies of an ointment containing capsaicin showed such good results that

a few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved commercial creams

such as Zostrix and Capzasin-P, which contain this substance.

 

You can buy the commercial products if you want. But if you'd like to save

money, simply mix powdered red pepper into any white skin lotion until it turns

pinkish, then dab it on. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward so that

you don't get pepper in your eyes or on other sensitive areas. And test it on a

small area of skin first; if it causes irritation, discontinue use.

 

Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis). The root of this plant, powdered and

mixed with water, was used as a folk treatment for shingles in China. It has

known antiviral activity, so I think this is worth a try.

 

Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis). Also known as dang-quai, this herb is

revered in Asia as the best herb for menstrual problems and other women's health

concerns.

 

In addition, the Chinese have used the powdered root successfully to treat

chickenpox and shingles.

 

It can be used in tea or tincture. (Do not take this herb if you are pregnant,

however.)

 

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Leading naturopath Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.,

president of Bastyr University in Seattle and co-author of The Encyclopedia of

Natural Medicine, reports seeing people with shingles whose pain and

inflammation cleared up within three days following application of a licorice

ointment on painful areas.

 

Licorice contains several antiviral and immune-boosting compounds and seems to

be a rational choice.

If I had chickenpox or shingles, I'd drink a weak tea and apply a strong tea

directly to the rash.

 

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). Passionflower is a mild tranquilizer,

which is not a bad idea if you are being driven to distraction by the pain of

shingles. But it also has reputed activity against postherpetic neuralgia.

 

I suggest adding some to a lemon balm, & shy;licorice tea.

 

Bergamot (Citrus bergamotia) and other essential oils. If you enjoy

aromatherapy, you might apply a few drops of essential oils that have been

recommended for treating chickenpox and shingles.

 

They include bergamot, camomile, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon and

teatree oil.

 

Since some full-strength essential oils can be irritating to the skin, dilute

them by adding several drops to a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and

apply them directly to painful areas. (Never ingest essential oils, as even a

small amount can be toxic.)

 

Pear (Pyrus, various species). Pear juice is rich in antiviral caffeic acid. I'd

drink it and eat lots of pears if I had chickenpox or shingles.

 

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). This herb has a folk reputation in China for

treating herpes. It's a delicious vegetable that's great when steamed like

spinach. It's worth a try.

 

Non-gmo Soybean (Glycine max) and watercress (Nasturtium officinale).

 

Research by Jean Carper, author of Food: Your Best Medicine, suggests that

taking two 500-milligram tablets of the amino acid lysine three or four times a

day might help relieve shingles symptoms.

 

If that's true, I'd suggest simply eating more watercress and non-gmo soybeans.

In my database, these are the foods highest in lysine--2.7 percent on a

dry-weight basis.

 

Other foods containing lysine, in descending order of potency, include black

bean sprouts, carob, lentil sprouts, lentils, spinach, velvet beans, peas,

pumpkin seeds, asparagus, butter beans, Chinese cabbage, fava beans, fenugreek

and papaya.

 

You might even want to cook up some of my Lysine Soup. Use several of the

high-lysine beans and asparagus and flavor it with fenugreek, papaya and lots of

watercress.

 

James A. Dukes, Ph.D.

____________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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