Turns out that two pains can make a right. Hot peppers are a key to reducing the misery associated with shingles, or herpes zoster, a viral infection that frequently causes a painful rash, according to results from a promising new clinical trial.
The study found that a high dose of capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers that makes eyes water and mouths sting, applied through a skin patch can be surprisingly effective in relieving postherpetic neuralgia, the debilitating nerve pain that is frequently a complication of shingles.