So, what are shingles? Shingles are a painful skin disorder that can occur from a reactivation of the chicken pox virus. The chicken pox virus, also known as herpes zoster, lives in your body even if you have no symptoms of shingles.

The shingles vacine can reduce the chances of you getting shingles by more than half. The shingles vaccine was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2007.

There are more than a million new cases of shingles in the United States every year. There are two risk factors for shingles, which are increased age and lowered immunity. However, not everyone over 60 is automatically a candidate for the shingles vaccine.

The shingles vacine Zostavax is a stronger version of the chicken pox vaccine. It is usually given as a single injection under the skin, mostly in the arm.

The three-year clinical trial of Zostavax was performed with 38,000 people in the U.S. that were age 60 and older. This study showed that the shingles vaccine Zostavax prevented shingles in approximately half of those randomized to receive the vaccine. Especially good from the study was that in the group aged 60-69, it reduced shingles by 64 percent.

Another good piece of news from this study was among those who developed shingles despite being vaccinated, the duration of pain from the attack was slightly reduced. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine Zostavax were redness, pain and tenderness, swelling at the site of injection, itching, and headache.

While the shingles vaccine is really good news, there’s no guarantee the vaccine will totally protect anyone from shingles. One doctor from the shingles vaccine study, Dr. Felderman said “I would not be inclined to give the vaccine to a patient who has already had shingles. It’s not that common to have a repeat attack, but when it occurs, it can always be treated with antiviral medication.”

So, is the shingles vaccine right for you? While the vaccine was found to be safe with minimal side effects in people over age 60 in the three-year clinical trial, there will be post-marketing studies to further monitor its safety.

“The vaccine is approved only for people aged 60 and above. It remains to be seen whether there will be general immunization recommendations for all people over age 60. Until there is, insurance carriers may not pay for the vaccine. So there is a cost consideration,” says Dr. Felderman. (The injection is projected to cost $145.) “People also need to understand the vaccine was not 100 percent effective; it will not absolutely guarantee that you won’t get shingles.”

The shingles virus is noted for the intense pain accompanying the shingles rash. Although most people suffer only one attack, repeated bouts of the rash can occur–usually located at the same place as the first rash. Even after the shingles rash disappears, some patients continue to have pain at the site of the rash. This pain is called postherpetic neuralgia. Some researchers believe shingles occur when the immune system is weakened, but there is no definitive answer. There is medication that will shorten the length of the outbreak. In order to be effective, you should be seen by a doctor within the first 72 hours the outbreak of the rash. The rash caused by shingles and the extreme pain are just a couple of symptoms, but there are more symptoms of shingles.

Shingles will do damage to your skin. Once you are over the outbreak, the skin at the site of the rash will be dry, flaky, and perhaps scarred. It will need a little extra care to get it supple again. Be sure to use a moisturizing soap and lotion until it’s back to normal.

Severe pain on the areas of the blisters is one symptom experienced by most of the people who are affected by shingles. This severe pain can be triggered by a gentle touch or air movement over the affected area. Medications used in curing shingles during the initial stages of the outbreak is to reduce the pain and the impact of shingles after the rashes have gone. Medicines used for cure includes acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), or valacyclovir (Valtrex). These medicines are used to reduce the pain and discomfort that is caused by shingles.

The homepathic medicines that are used in shingles cure are Causticum, Hypericum, Phytolaca, Rhus Tox, Ran Bub, Variolinum, Anthracinum, Carbo Animalis, Arnica, and Agaricum. Herbs like Hypericum perforatum are used in preparing herbal medicines for shingles cure. The other herbs that are used in preparing medicines for shingles cure are Avena sativa, Scutellaria laterifolia, Artemisia vulgaris, and Echinacea.

Shingles is the formation of a patch of blisters along the sides of the body. This patch may be in the form of a belt of blisters in the body, which are filled with fluids. This is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Hence shingles treatment means treating this virus. Actually there is no defined shingles treatment available for the complete cure of shingles. Shingles treatment available now-a-days are to reduce the impact of shingles on our body.

There are lots of anti-viral medications available to treat this virus as a part of shingles treatment. This shingles treatment help in reducing the complications after the impact of shingles on our body. During the shingles treatment using the above medicines, these medications are taken three to five times a day for seven to ten days at a stretch. In any case treatment for shingles must be done with the help of a medical practitioner, such as your doctor.