- You can't prevent yourself from contracting shingles because shingles is not contracted from someone with shingles or chickenpox infection. You only get shingles from your own chickenpox virus.
- Local dressing with water at room temperature, for half an hour to 1 hour, at least 5-6 times every day, helps relieve the symptoms. Cool wet compresses also help to lessen the pain.
- Keep the skin clean and allow the rash to remain uncovered. Be gentle with your blisters and try not to scratch them. Make a mixture of white vinegar and tepid water. Compress the vesicles or crusts with this mixture for about 15 minutes daily till the blisters dry up to soothe the area.
- Skin becomes very dry, stretched and at times cracked, once the scabs fall off. Rubbing some coconut oil 4-5 times daily would nourish the skin and prevent dryness.
- Articles that cannot be discarded should be used only after they are washed in boiling water or disinfected by other means.
- Do not share articles used or don't re-use contaminated articles.
- If you have shingles, you could transmit the virus, and people could develop chickenpox as a result of contact with you. Do not stay in close physical contact with others for about 7-9 days until the blisters have dried, because till then the virus is present in the blister fluid.
