This fall I got a Shingles vaccination. As a 68 year-old, it was recommended by my primary care physician during my physical. However, she didn’t have to do much to convince me. My Mom had shingles at an advanced age, and it was AWFUL. The blistering rash went on for long weeks, and the after effects stayed with her until she died. It can be an insidious virus, much worse than chicken pox, which is what many think that it is.
Shingles is related to chicken pox, because it comes from the same viral strain–varicella-zoster virus (VZV). According to the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Health, while chicken pox generally occurs in children, once you get it, the virus never goes away. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles as an adult. Shingles to shingles is not contagious, but it can give the chicken pox virus to those who have never had it, so it’s important to be very careful if you contact the disease.
Shingles affects the nervous system, and causes itching, burning sensations, shooting pain and fluid filled blisters. Most adults carry VZV in their bodies, and don’t get shingles, but one in three adults do. And it is not pretty. As shown below, the rash usually comes up in blisters that eventually crust/scab over.
The rash itself can last 3-5 weeks and can be very uncomfortable. A fuller list of symptoms from NIH include:
- Burning, tingling, or numbness of the skin
- Feeling sick—chills, fever, upset stomach, or headache
- Fluid-filled blisters
- Skin that is sensitive to touch
- Mild itching to strong pain
Critically, many develop longer term problems after the rash is gone. One key problem is called post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN. This is what my Mom suffered from. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 10-18% of people who get shingles get PHN . It is when the damage done to the nerve system lingers and significant pain is felt on the skin and under the skin in the area where the rash was. For my Mom and some people, PHN is the longest lasting and worst part of shingles. PHN pain can be a cause of anxiety, depression, and/or the inability to eat or dress. The older you are when you get shingles, the higher the probability is that you will develop PHN.
For these reasons, I got vaccinated. There are two available vaccines, Zostavax and Shingrix. The more current vaccine, Shingrix, comes in two doses given about 2-6 months apart. If you are over 50 years old, you can get a Shingrix vaccination, and if 60 or older you can still get Zostavax. Please discuss shingles, the symptoms, the vaccination regimen and any recommended medications with your doctor. Research suggests that the vaccinations can be 51-97% effective in preventing shingles, but there can be side effects to getting them. I got Shingrix, and for me, the first shot just gave me a sore arm. The second shot, however, was more challenging—sore arm, chills, a slight fever, and bad fatigue. All were documented as possibilities to plan for and passed in a couple of days. But trust me, I’d rather have those short lived side effects than full blown shingles any day!
If you have insurance and can get vaccinated before 65 and get on Medicare, do so, as Medicare does not cover these shots. For this reason, while the amount of people getting vaccinated is souring, the number of African-Americans is falling behind, a dangerous trend https://khn.org/news/shingles-vaccination-rate-soars-but-leaves-many-behind/. The Affordable Care Act does cover the shots, however.
As I encourage you to find many ways to keep on Sizzling, getting a Shingles vaccination is truly one way to do it if your doctor agrees. It’s worth paying for.
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