Shingles: Treatment & More with Dr. Lawrence Jaeger

At least one million people will develop shingles each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Knowing the facts and speaking with a specialist like Dr. Lawrence Jaeger of Larchmont, New York can help you to know if you have shingles and to know how to deal with them.

Diagnostic tests for shingles could include skin scrapings to determine if the virus is, indeed, shingles, and blood tests.  This is, of course, in addition to a physical exam by a certified health professional like Dr. Larry Jaeger.

Active symptoms with shingles usually last for three to five weeks.  Your physician will design a treatment plan for you based on your age, overall health and medical history.  It will also take into account the extent of your symptoms.  Shingles has to run its course since there is no cure for the disease. The main treatments, rather, focus on pain relief.  Such treatments will include painkillers and antiviral drugs to lessen the symptoms and minimize the nerve damage.

You may also be advised to take bed rest, to use calamine lotion or other topical agents, to use cool compresses, to take antiviral medications and to use steroids and anticonvulsants.