If your elderly family member is prone to outbreaks of shingles she might be concerned that there’s nothing she can do to make those outbreaks less severe. You won’t be able to stop them entirely but using a combination of these treatments might cause outbreaks to be a little less painful and debilitating for your elderly family member.
Vaccinations
There’s a vaccine specifically for shingles, but your senior may also benefit from the vaccine designed for chickenpox. Her doctor can help her to determine which vaccine is the better option for your senior. It’s important to remember that a vaccine doesn’t guarantee that your elderly family member won’t develop shingles, but it can help her body to fight it more effectively, making the outbreaks less severe for her.
Antiviral Medications
Curing shingles isn’t possible just yet, but it is a virus. That means that antiviral medications can help to speed up your senior’s healing process by making reproduction more difficult for the virus. Your senior’s doctor can help to determine which antiviral medication is right for your senior depending on her other health conditions.
Medications to Treat Nerve Pain
One of the other aspects of dealing with a shingles outbreak is the nerve pain your senior may experience. There are several ways that her doctor might opt to manage that pain ranging from anticonvulsants to antidepressants and numbing medications applied topically. These medications can help your senior to feel more comfortable, even though they don’t treat the shingles itself.
Pain Medications
There’s also very real pain associated with shingles outbreaks. That pain can feel like it migrates and your senior may find it impossible to sleep or to get any rest because of the pain she’s experiencing. Your elderly family member may need over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications, but that sometimes isn’t powerful enough. If necessary, your senior’s doctor may recommend prescription pain medications.
Corticosteroids
Sometimes corticosteroids can help to relieve the itching and the nerve pain as well. Topical corticosteroids are an option, but your senior’s doctor is more likely to recommend injected corticosteroids. These are primarily for your senior’s comfort as well.
Lowering stress levels can do a lot for your senior in terms of preventing a shingles outbreak. Relieving her of some of the chores and tasks that are adding to her stress levels can help her to keep her immune system stronger. Elderly care providers are a perfect choice for this, especially if your senior is already dealing with an outbreak.