How can I prevent shingles outbreaks?

Make sure to eat a healthful diet, get sufficient rest, exercise & look for ways to throwaway stress. If you suffer from recurring or serious outbreaks, go and see your health care provider about the possibility of undertaking medical treatment to prevent or treat them as early as possible.

Can I prevent shingles transmission?

If you've shingles symptoms, you shouldn't have sexual intercourse until all lesions cure, the scabs have fallen off & the skin returns to normal. The use condoms when you suffer from sores or open wounds, does not preempt disease transmission as the condom can not cover all body's wounds. Besides, the virus can spread even from the skin to places the condom doesn't protect. Having direct contact with sores can spread shingles to other parts of your body or to your partner's body. If the skin is back to normal & you don't have shingles symptoms, you can have sex again, but you can still spread the virus even when no symptoms occur (although the risk is low). It is suggested to always use a condom when having oral, vaginal or anal sex.

If you're experiencing, or begin to notice some of the typical warning signs that may suggest an rash - tingling, burning & itching sores where they were before - you should stop having sexual intercourse at once. These signals may start a few hours or days before a blister revival. People with ulcers shouldn't have any sexual contact until all sores have healed & all the scabs have fallen apart. Talk with your general practitioner to find out whether you need to take medication to bring down the chances of transferring shingles to your partner.

The following are some general rules to observe if you're having a shingles outbreak:

• Do not touch the sores. If you do, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to eliminate the virus.

• After using the toilet, wash your hands

• Do not touch or rub your eyes unless you've washed your hands.

• Wash your hands before touching a contact lens.

• Do not wet contact lenses with saliva.

• If you have cold sores, do not kiss anyone, especially infants, children or pregnant women.

• If you suffer from genital sores, do not have sex, not even using a condom.

Some healthy tips:

When experiencing an outbreak it is essential to keep the wounds & the area around them clean & dry as much as possible. This will help to quicken the natural healing process. Some doctors advise warm showers on the infected area to keep it clean. Then, carefully dry with a towel or a hair dryer on low heat or cold settings. In order to prevent scab, do not use tight-fitting underwear. The majority of creams & lotions don't help. Quite the opposite, some of them may even further irritate the area.

The amino acids lysine & arginine has been shown to contribute to shingles outbreak. According to some new research, lysine helps control shingles outbreaks. On the other hand, arginine worsens the outbreaks. Thus, foods rich in lysine & low in arginine content help control both herpes, genital & oral. The following is a list of food both rich in lysine and rich in arginine. Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, cheese, milk, beans, brewer's yeast, mung bean sprouts & most fruits & vegetables have more lysine than arginine, except for the peas. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, white flour & bran, peanuts, bean sprouts & wheat germ have more arginine than lysine.

Can herpes cause cervical cancer?

No! Cervical Cancer isn't caused by shingles.

Is there any relationship between shingles & AIDS?

People, who struggle with shingles & other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) that cause genital lesions, are at greater risk of becoming infected by HIV . Injuries are a means by which HIV can enter the body & begin to spread. If a person with HIV contracts genital herpes, the infection is likely to be more serious than it is for the person who's HIV free.