‟A deadly condition accompanied by unendurable and agonizing pain that is more than enough to seize life.”
This is a statement that is not given by a cancer patient or anyone who got injured in a road accident but by a person coping with shingles. Through this, the severity of this menacing illness named shingles can be imagined.
In this scenario, they require a salve to their pain. No doubt, there are a lot of medications to treat this ailment, but to rub salt into the wound, none of them is quite safe and effective. These medicines have a large number of side effects as well as they are too heavy on one’s pocket.
However, apart from all these, not all hope is lost. For treating shingles effectively and safely, CBD (cannabidiol) oil can still be regarded as a guardian angel. This oil is not only highly efficient against shingles with no side effects but is also pocket friendly.
CBD oil and shingles relationship seems to be new to hear, but for a person experiencing shingles, CBD oil is no less than a blessing. So, if you are also victimized by this exasperating disease coming up with throbbing pain, this article can be pretty helpful to you.
CBD Oil and Shingles (birds-eye view)
In shingles, the critical pain and inflammation appearing in small body regions can affect the nerves and, ultimately, the nervous system of the body, which can be even fatal.
CBD oil contains a cannabinoid chemical that binds with body receptors and regulates the proper functioning of cells, thus playing a preservative role against shingles symptoms. So, its palliative, antitumor, chemophobic, and anti-inflammatory activities are pretty promising in dealing with this sickness.
Many people confuse shingles with chickenpox, but these two are entirely different ailments:
What Shingles is? Symptoms and Effects
A condition in which red rash appears in one side of the body latterly transforms into small fluid-filled pustules characterized by severe pain and prickling sensation. It usually occurs in a small section of the body.
The majority of people have a misunderstanding regarding shingles that it only occurs in those who never had chickenpox in their childhood-which is wrong.
People who once had chickenpox in their adulthood are more likely to have this illness. This is because chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, also known as herpes zoster. In the case of shingles, this virus becomes inactive after the treatment and proper course of 5-7 days. Still, it remains in the body, and this slumbering virus can become active again in suitable conditions causing shingles.
Symptoms
Initial symptoms of shingles may include:
- Drastic pain in the entire body with a burning sensation
- Red rash in the small region essentially on the neck, back or around the eye (ophthalmic shingles)
- May be followed by elevated body temperature or flu.
- Then it leads to fluid-filled blisters on that area characterized by stinging pain.
Other typical symptoms of shingles are:
- Fatigue
- Light sensitivity
- Nausea (Upset stomach)
- Headache
- Extreme Dullness and weakness
- Abdominal pain
However, the symptoms can vary from person to person as well. Some people may not develop rash and pustules but can only have severe body pain making it a diagnostic challenge for the doctor, and many people think of it as a kidney, lungs, or liver pain. Shingles is also muddled up with eczema at the stage when the only rash is visible.
Singles Effects
As mentioned earlier, the most common effect of shingles is unbearable pain, which is somehow comparable to childbirth or fracture. However, a weak digestive system and nerve pain are aside.
Chronic Effects
Shingles can also result in chronic conditions and long-term problems, most probably in people with less immunity and 60 or above. They include:
- Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Generally, in 7-10 days, the blisters begin to dry and are left with rash only, which becomes fully recovered in almost two weeks, but the person with a lower immune system this can last for five weeks or in some cases the stubbing pain lasts permanently even after the symptoms are gone.
This condition is known as postherpetic neuralgia. Our body is full of neurotransmitters, which are the messengers sending messages from the brain to all body parts.
In post-herpetic neuralgia, the body ends up with severe nerve damage due to inflammation that results in the neurotransmitters to get chaotic, and they can’t send messages from skin to brain as they usually do.
This muddle in a signal can provoke severe pain in neuralgia, which can also interfere in one’s sleep and triggering an uncomfortable feeling.
- Blindness
If shingles appear in the region near eyes like in the forehead or nose. In that case, it should be taken more seriously than ever because convolutions in this area can cause pain and itching in your eyes and cause permanent vision loss.
The risk starts with scarring on the eye surface, then inflammation and redness on eyes, glaucoma (the condition in which eye’s optic nerve is damaged), and ultimately complete blindness.
Inefficient treatment and unsafe vaccination
There is no complete cure of shingles; however, few medications are recommended to reduce the suffering period and to limit the risk of complications. Three antiviral drugs should be taken within three days of the beginning of symptoms to cope with the viral re-activation. They include:
A shingles vaccine is also available to cut the chance of getting it, but it does not provide a 100% safety level.
There are two vaccines available:
But the shingles vaccine has many mild and severe side effects, including swelling, irritation, itching, and discomfort at the point of vaccine injection. Headache is also reported in many cases. Serious ones include anaphylaxis.
So, safe and authentic treatment is required.
Use of CBD OIL, an effective remedy against shingles
Because shingle pain is unbearable and no proper and guaranteed treatment is available, and vaccines are also somewhat effective and unsafe, people are falling back on CBD products to relieve their shingles’ pain. In this case, CBD oil comes to be very effective against ailments ranging from anxiety and depression to epilepsy and even cancers:
CBD oil is very effective against inflammatory pain and damage caused by shingles.
CBD OIL as an Active anti-inflammatory agent
The main and the most supportive function of CBD is the cannabinoid chemical present in it, which is an anti-inflammatory agent and reduces the rash and nerve inflammation of shingles.
This action is advantageous both in providing comfort from nerve pain and rash, meanwhile protecting nerve from damage. Because inflammation and damage are directly related, the more down the inflammation gets, the less likelihood of ensuing damage from viruses and inducing pain.
CBD OIL as a Shingles pain reliever
CBD oil works in our body that much more efficiently than any other medication, thanks to our endocannabinoid system. This is a system responsible for the connection between the brain and our other body parts. It is capable of providing signals from skin to our brain to influence pain sensitivity due to inflammation.
CBD attaches itself with endocannabinoid receptors in the body and thus synchronize the functioning of cells in various tissues. According to a study published in the journal Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in 2006, CBD connects to CB1 and CB2 receptors in our body and reduces the perception of stubbing shingles pain and sending a signal to the brain in the form of neurotransmitter to become relax, giving comfort to the exhausted victim.
CBD oil as an antidote of post-herpetic neuralgia
CBD oil can also relieve one from damaged nerve pain resulting from post-herpetic neuralgia resulting from shingles. The lasting and continuous pressure on nerves can cause nerve damage resulting in a weak nervous system.
As CBD is an active nerve protectant, it can be used to remove pressure on nerves and is effective in making neurotransmitters to do their work well, moreover, reducing neuropathic pain.
CBD oil used to prevent blindness resulting from shingles
As mentioned above, rash and blisters of shingles appearing in or around the eye region and continue putting pressure on the optic nerve (a nerve that carries visual information from eye retina to brain) can damage it; a condition is known as glaucoma causing blindness. It can help relieve pressure from this nerve, making it work efficiently without any barricade.
CBD oil reduces the chance of getting shingles
CBD oil is also helpful in a way that reduces stress, which is the impetus of shingles. So, many people also take CBD oil for stress and anxiety from Provacan.
It minimizes the pressure on living systems and cools them down. So, people with less stress level is at a lesser chance to get shingles. It is also known as a natural immune booster and also has a homeostatic effect on the body to maintain equilibrium in the living system.
Available forms
This relieving oil is available in various forms, including oral supplements like pills and oils, or is also present in the form of topical creams, salves, and balms. So, many people are using CBD oil to get rid of the stubbing shingles pain and other awful symptoms.
Research and studies
- According to the 2019 survey in Great Britain, 70 percent of British adults were taking medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment of shingles pain while 38 percent for stress/depression.
- Research on CBD oil also proves that it is a therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain caused by shingles.
Claims made by CBD OIL USERS about its benefits in the treatment of shingles.
- ‘‘Without a doubt, CBD oil is the only thing that actually helped and shortened the life span of my shingles outbreak’’ posted by Cat Lennon on February 18, 2019.
- ‘‘CBD can help relieve the symptoms of pain caused by shingles as well as reduce inflammation and protect nerve cells’’ posted by Jules S. on September 26, 2018.
- ‘‘Quality CBD capsules or oil can provide effective relief for shingles. It can help with nerve pain and inflammation. A quality CBD balm can also help with skin pain’’ posted by Mark Mallen, on January 30, 2018.
- ‘‘CBD has shown in studies that it may be able to help reduce your sensitivity to pain. Putting a CBD hemp oil topical on your shingles may be able to help decrease the inflammation which is another way that CBD can help with the pain’’ posted by Selim Reza on December 28, 2018.
Final Words
So, shingles is a very painful and drastic health condition and can cause numerous damages and complications in your body. It can also badly affect your everyday life and can cause sleeplessness. A fuel to fire is that the medications used to treat shingles have very little effectiveness.
Instead of these medications, the use of CBD oil is quite effective and satisfactory. It helps to treat not only shingles but also the complications caused by it. But don’t forget to visit your doctor and having a solid prescription from the doctor before using any product.
This is because CBD products are still not approved by The United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA). So be careful while purchasing any product and be sure that you are having the right quality and original one.
