Shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, it's called the herpes zoster.  Shingles affects the nerve endings of the skin and can appear anywhere on the body.  It seems to prefer the abdominal skin located under the ribs leading towards the navel.  Other areas like the female vaginal tissues and the inside of the mouth are also prime locations.  

Most adults have had chicken pox as a child and aside from having a slight fever and an itching rash, it passed and was soon forgotten.  But once that virus enters the body it does not go away.  It lays dormant for years in the spinal cord and nerve ganglia. In many cases it stays dormant for life.  But if your immune system is compromised for any reason or length of time, it can re-appear causing serious problems. 

The infection advances to the nerve endings causing extreme pain, burning, and itching.  This action causes the affected area to become extremely sensitive.  Approximately 90% of adults who had chicken pox as a child are at risk for contracting shingles.

Shortly before an attack you will experience three or four days of chills, fever, and aches.  This will be followed by tiny fluid filled blisters surrounded by a red rim.  The affected area becomes extremely painful and sensitive to the touch.  Shingles strikes over one million people a year, most of these people are over the age of fifty.  A logical reason for that statistic is, as we get older our immune systems have a tendency to become less efficient. 

For people with depressed immune systems, shingles and it’s aftermath can be earth shattering.  The disease can spread to the internal organs.  This can result in deafness, blindness, and even death. 

Your best defense against this disease is to keep your immune system at peak efficiency.  If you are under age fifty, don’t assume you are automatically safe.  If you are over age fifty don’t assume you will automatically contract this disease.  Keep your immune systems functioning efficiently by eating healthy, taking supplements, and avoiding drugs.

Beware of corticosteroid drugs, which are frequently prescribed for shingles patients.  When these drugs are taken for long periods of time, they frequently cause a weakening of the immune system.  And a weakened immune system is a prime target for future attacks.  Also painkillers containing acetaminophen (Tylenol) will aggravate the blisters.

Cleansing of the blood is necessary to eliminate acid wastes and to alkalize the blood.  The following are some ways of cleansing your system using natural methods.

1.     Do a 3 day juice cleanse or a supplement cleanse.  Then juice a carrot, beet, and cucumber and drink it every morning for three days.  Also juice an apple and drink it every evening for the next three evenings.

2.     Eat only fresh, raw, organic fruits and vegetables for the next ten days.  Enzymes from fresh organic fruits and vegetables will reduce the frequency of outbreaks.

3.     After your 10 day fruit and vegie fast, add Vitamin B Complex 100mg to your routine along with some miso soup, brown rice, and dark leafy greens.

4.     Avoid acidic foods like eggs, fried foods, grain fed red meat, and cheese.  Also avoid refined foods like sugars, and processed meats.

5.     Stop eating foods that have preservatives, artificial flavorings, and colorings.

6.     Take an Epsom Salt bath to neutralize the acids in your body.

7.     Get some early morning sunlight on your body for the healing properties of Vitamin D.  If the sun doesn’t shine very often in your area, try some supplemental Vitamin D3, 800IU.

8.     Try to remain stress free.  If you can remain calm and keep a positive attitude your inner being will benefit.  Stress and negative thoughts create acids that deplete the protective nerve coverings.  That causes pain.

9.      Acupuncture has a good track record when it comes to relieving the symptoms of shingles.

10. Your body has been programed to heal itself, let Mother Nature work her majic.