Shingles
Dr. Suzanne Salamon, Chief Associate of Clinical Geriatrics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, answers your general questions about aging and geriatric medicine.
What is shingles and can I prevent it?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash that usually occurs on one side of the body. It appears most commonly on the trunk (chest, back, abdomen), but can sometimes occur on the face, shoulder, or leg. It is most common in people over 50 because of weaker immune system.
What Causes Shingles?
Shingles in an adult is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox when we are children. After someone has chickenpox, the virus remains “asleep” in the body. Years later, it can “wake up” and reappear as shingles. Chicken pox blisters are found all over the body, but shingles blisters occur mostly on only 1 side of the body, which helps make the diagnosis.
Transmission
It is not possible to catch shingles from someone else. However, if you have never had chicken pox and are exposed to someone with a fresh case of shingles, it is possible to catch the virus and then get chickenpox. Most people born before 1980 had chicken pox, but for people who aren’t sure, there is a simple blood test which identifies the chicken pox antibodies.
Symptoms
The first symptoms of shingles may be itching, burning, or tingling even before the rash appears. Some people get a fever, feel sick, or get a headache. Within days, a rash with blisters appears. The blisters cause pain that can be mild or severe.
Shingles blisters can become open sores, which can become infected. Within 7 to 10 days, the rash should scab over. By then, most people are no longer contagious to unprotected people.
Complications
Shingles can be serious. About 1 out of 10 people with shingles will get something called “postherpetic neuralgia,” or “PHN.” which is pain even after the rash goes away. This pain can last for months or even years.
Treatments
If you see your doctor within 3 days of your first symptoms, you can take medicines called antivirals for 1 week to help fight the virus and reduce the length and severity of the symptoms. Pain can usually be treated with non-prescription pain medicines, but some people need prescription medicines.
Prevention
People can reduce the chances of getting shingles by getting the shingles vaccine. The vaccine can also make the symptoms milder if they do occur. Most people age 60 and older should get the “newer” shingles vaccine called Shingrix which consists of 2 shots, 2 to 6 months apart. People often fear the side effects of the vaccine, but they are far less severe and shorter than getting shingles.
So, if you haven’t gotten Shingrix, put it high on your To-Do list!