One of my famous personal essential oil testimonials is how I got rid of my shingles with Ravensara essential oil.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a serious and short-lived viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
It is a nervous system infection that affects specific areas of the skin.
Shingles is caused by having chickenpox as a child.
During a childhood chickenpox attack, not all viral organisms are destroyed. They get stuck and remain quiet – “dormant” – in the nerves in the skin for many years.
When there is severe emotional stress, serious illness, or things that severely depress the immune system, these “dormant” critters wake up and spring back into action, causing an infection.
The pain is severe and sometimes long-lasting, and the medical approach consists of antiviral drugs, steroids, pain relievers, and antibiotics for possible skin infections
– and not everyone wants to take this approach (although if the eruption is near the eyes, be sure to see a doctor!)
So again we say thank god for the oils!
I had an outbreak of shingles a few years ago when my mother, who had been diagnosed with kidney cancer, had to have surgery to have her kidney removed.
I was so stressed that I didn’t pay attention to my body. It’s interesting how that happens, isn’t it?
Our bodies have to tell us how stressed we are if we’re not careful.
When I found out I had shingles, I ran to my two favorite resource books – The Essential Desk Reference and The Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide by the Burton Goldberg Group.
Both books mentioned Ravensara – which I had in my oil collection and loved because of sinus problems.
I immediately took some internally (I had taken Ravensara internally before for bronchitis, so I felt comfortable taking it internally again).
I put 7 drops in an empty gelcap and took one capsule in the morning and one in the evening. Within a day, my pain and symptoms disappeared.
I decided to maintain this regime for 21 days as that is the normal lifespan of a virus. My symptoms stayed away the entire time except for one day when I forgot to take my dose.
I said to myself, “Oh, I probably don’t have shingles – I don’t have any symptoms, so I’m going to stop taking the capsules.” Well within a day the symptoms came back so I continued to the end.
Now, not everyone will feel comfortable taking oils internally. So here are ways you can use essential oils topically for the discomfort of shingles:
merge together:
– 10 drops of sandalwood
— 5 drops of blue cypress
– 4 drops of peppermint
– 2 drops of Ravensara
Dilute 50:50 with massage oil and apply 6-10 drops 1-3 times daily to affected area, neck and down spine. (from the Essential Desk reference)
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A case study was conducted with six hospice patients with herpes zoster. It was found that three essential oils combined and added to distilled water and used as spritzes improved shingles symptoms.
The three oils used were:
–ravensara
– Bergamot
– Niaouli
Aromatherapist Noel Gilligan conducted this study. Mr Gilligan reported that after 48 hours:
— there was a significant reduction in pain from shingles
– Scabs formed and the pustules healed in one go
example there was a disappearance of the pustules
Thanks to Marilee Tolen
