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Many people think that only children get the shingles – and it’s just one of many misconceptions about the infection. Getting your shingles facts straight can mean the difference between:
- Minimizing the risk of complications or suffering from them
- Keeping it to yourself or infecting others
- Getting prompt treatment or prolonging the symptoms
Blame the Virus
Shingles aren’t a skin allergy, although they may appear like it. Instead, it’s a viral infection that the varicella-zoster virus causes, also responsible for chickenpox. This duality is where the misconception about shingles being a childhood disease comes from. The virus belongs to a group of herpes viruses that cause genital herpes and cold sores: the varicella-zoster virus. However, it is different from the virus behind these infections that transmit sexually.
The varicella-zoster virus will enter your nervous system after having chickenpox. It will lie dormant in the nerve tissue and reactivate several years later as shingles. However, it doesn’t mean that every person who has had chickenpox will get shingles.
For this reason, older people have a higher risk of developing shingles, especially those unvaccinated against chickenpox. In addition, people with compromised or weakened immune systems are at increased risk for shingles. For example, people at risk include cancer, HIV/AIDS, or former transplant patients.
Know the Signs
The most apparent sign of shingles is a single stripe of blisters wrapping around the torso. It appears most of the time on either the right or left side. But the rash may occur on one side of the face, neck, or around one of the eyes.
The affected area may be painful and characterized by sensitivity to touch, burning or tingling sensation, and numbness. In addition, the blisters fill with fluid while the affected area feels itchy.
Often, the pain may be so intense that fatigue, fever, headaches, and sensitivity to light come along. Unfortunately, many people mistake it for an underlying medical condition affecting the lungs, kidneys, and heart, emphasizing medical consultation.
Your doctor is the best person to give a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan for shingles. He may prescribe acyclovir, among other medications, to control the severity and duration of your symptoms.
What complications arise from shingles?
Shingles aren’t life-threatening, but it has their complications. These can include:
- Postherpetic neuralgia is a condition where the feelings of pain persist well after the blisters have healed
- Neurological problems like facial paralysis, encephalitis, and hearing loss
- Vision loss if the blisters develop in or around an eye
Shingles Facts
- After having chickenpox, the virus that causes it (herpes zoster or varicella-zoster) can stick around, even after recovery.
- A second infection then triggers that is called shingles. It appears as a rash that’s painful and creates visible blisters.
- Anyone can get shingles, even if you’ve had chickenpox as a child and recovered.
- Most people who get shingles are adults. 30% of adults in the U.S. will get a diagnosis of shingles. That translates to 1 in 3 adults will develop the disease at least once during their lifetime.
- If you are 50 years or older, the risk of getting shingles increases dramatically. However, you can get a vaccine to reduce the risk.
- While shingles themselves aren’t contagious, if the rash is in the blister phase, it can spread the virus around.
- Shingles usually last between 3 – 5 weeks.
- Most people only get it once in their lifetime, but sometimes it reoccurs. A vaccine shot can significantly reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
- You can prevent most symptoms and complications if you start antiviral treatment within three days of the shingles rash.
- Calamine lotion and other anti-itch creams are usually not very practical in soothing the rash produced by shingles.
- You can get shingles vaccine shots in two doses. It’s best to take them from 2 to 6 months apart. They reduce your chances of contracting the disease by 90%.
- Shingles can cause severe damage to your eye or eyelid, causing redness, swelling, or pain. You must seek medical help as soon as possible as it may lead to glaucoma, scarring, or blindness.
- A typical early warning sign is to develop blisters on the tip of your nose.
What are the most common Shingles symptoms?
Shingles cause several symptoms, including:
- Burning or shooting pain
- Chills
- Headaches
- Tingling or itching
- Fever (mild or high)
- Upset stomach
- Rashes or blisters (particularly on the face or waist)
Warning: Don’t use Zostavax. Use Shingrix.
Since November 2020, the CDC has forbidden using Zostavax as a vaccine in the United States.
Instead, the current CDC recommendation is to use two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix).
A doctor can prescribe Shingrix to adults 19 and older at risk due to a weakened immune system. He may also prescribe it for patients 50 and older as a preventive measure.
In conclusion
By keeping your shingles facts straight, you can avoid adopting quack remedies that will worsen your condition. Your doctor is the best person to get reliable information about your health issues and prepare a battle plan!