15 Home Remedies to Relieve Shingles Rash

If you remember having the chickenpox as a kid or even as an adult, shingles will seem very similar. In fact, you may feel like you are having a flashback to your childhood days. The reason that you feel this way is because shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus.

Shingles cause a person to experience a rash that can cause itching and an extreme amount of pain. This rash can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Shingles may only affect one side of the body. Weakened immune systems, stress, and age can all make a person vulnerable to getting shingles. While there is no real cure for shingles, there is a vaccine that can prevent a person from getting it.

If you do come down with shingles, there are some home remedies that can help you deal with the pain caused by the rash. 

1. Take an Oatmeal Bath

There are many reasons to take a bath. It is relaxing and can help ease your discomfort. While oatmeal is something you probably think of as eating for breakfast, it also has great soothing benefits for the skin.

Oatmeal can effectively treat dry and itchy skin and offers antihistamine properties that reduce painful swelling. You may also simply try grounding up oatmeal into a very fine powder in a food processor and then adding it to your bath. You may also find creams made of oatmeal that can soothe your rash.

If you are suffering from shingles, covering your body in a paste of ground oatmeal and water can help to ease the symptoms of your rash. You can leave this paste on your body for as long as you want and then simply wash it off in the shower or soak in a cool bath to rinse the oatmeal paste off.