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Treatments for Shingles by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

While there are no treatments to cure shingles, there are treatment goals, such as:

Shortening the length of the illness
Preventing shingles by using the shingles vaccine
Preventing complications, such as post-herpetic neuralgia
Relieving pain and discomfort
Preventing the rash from becoming infected

Treatment involves:

Lifestyle changes | Medications | Alternative and complementary therapies | Other treatments

At this time, there are no surgical procedures for the treatment of shingles.

References:

Shingles. Family Doctor.org website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/shingles.html . Updated January 2011. Accessed September 7, 2012.
Shingles (herpes zoster). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/overview.html . Updated January 10, 2011. Accessed September 7, 2012.

Last reviewed September 2012 by Peter Lucas, MD

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Treatments for Shingles by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

References:

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