Healing Shingles With Lemon Balm

Shingles is a painful viral infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox. It isn’t life threatening, but it does cause a very painful rash. The shingles rash can appear anywhere on your body, but it usually appears as a band of blisters from the middle of your back around the side of the chest to the breastbone. Anyone who has had chicken pox can contract shingles. The virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. The virus may reactivate years later as shingles.

Lemon balm has been used for centuries as an anti-viral healing plant. Lemon Balm Ointment can be used for people who are looking for a natural alternative to control the pain and itch of a shingles out break, and help heal it naturally. We have several health care providers that continue to order Lemon Balm for their patients. One doctor raved about how well it worked for helping his patients. Other customers tell us that it helps tremendously with suppressing the pain, and healing the sores. It does this because of the natural plant chemical eugenol. Eugenol helps to numb the sore skin tissue. Lemon balm also contains other healing plant chemical compounds such as tannins. These tannins contribute to it’s antiviral effects. The terpenes adds to the soothing effects of lemon balm.

In scientific studies, lemon balm’s herbal healing properties has been shown to combat and heal shingle sores due to the herpes simplex 3 varicella virus. Applied to the affected area, lemon balm starts to heal the sores in about 2-4 days. This helps the sores to crust over faster, and thus heal faster.

Shingles is more common in people over the age of 50. The risk also increases with age. It is unknown why the virus is sometimes reactivated in the body. Experts believe that a weakened immune system could one explanation. As you grow older, your immune system can become weaker.

Although rare, shingles can also develop in younger people. This is more common when the immune system has been compromised by HIV/AIDS, cancer, cancer treatments, long use of steroids, or drugs that suppress the immune system. Stress can also be a factor in shingles at any age, because stress lowers the immune response. Stress can actually bring on a break out.

Just as with chicken pox, a person with shingles is contagious and can pass the varicella-zoster virus to anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox. This happens when there is direct contact with the open sores of shingles. If infected by the open shingles rash, the person will develop chickenpox, not shingles. Shingles is only contagious is if you’ve never had chickenpox. In this case, someone with shingles can pass the varicella-zoster virus to you, because the virus does not exist in body.

Shingles and chickenpox can be dangerous for some groups of people. Until your shingles blisters scab over, you are contagious and should avoid physical contact with newborns, pregnant women, and anyone with a weak immune system.

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm can also work internally to help heal the shingles virus. Taking lemon balm as a herbal tea, either hot or iced, will help to heal the shingles sores faster. Drink 3 to 5 cups a day while symptoms are present. Use honey to sweeten.

Lemon balm tea can also be used as a cooling wash for the sores. Make an infusion (tea), and let steep for 20 minutes. Pour into your bath tub, and add a little cool water. Used as a sitz bath, the lemon balm will help to calm and heal the sores. If you aren’t able to take a bath, lemon balm tea can be gently put onto the sores. No need to rinse.

Cautions of Lemon Balm

Lemon balm should  not be used by those taking thyroid medications. It can interact causing the meds to be less effective.

Due to it’s sedating effects, if taking lemon balm internally, caution should be used around driving, or using machinery. It causes severe drowsiness in some and should not be taken if you need to be alert.

Do not take internally if you are already taking tranquilizers. This could cause too much sedation.

If you are pregnant or nursing lemon balm should be avoided. Because of lemon balms affect on the bodies hormone balance, it could affect the uterus.