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.