- Details
- Hits: 199
Have you ever heard of Shingles and wondered where does it come from?
Shingles is a viral painful rash with fluid filled blisters that can occur anywhere on your body. Most often it occurs in people over age 50 and increases with age. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop Shingles. Most adults in the United States have experienced having chickenpox, since it was a time prior to the vaccination which now protects against chickenpox. The virus that causes shingles is called the varicella-zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, this virus can lie inactive inside your nerve tissues near your spinal cord and brain for years and reactivate as shingles. What causes the virus to reactivate is unclear. It is just known that older adults with weakened immune systems are more at risk.
Usually shingles affects a section of one side of your body. The first symptom most people experience is pain, numbness and tingling or a burning sensation. A few days later a rash appears that may be itchy. Some people also feel flu-like symptoms such as general body aches, fatigue and a headache. A person with shingles can pass the varicella-zoster to anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox or been immunized against chickenpox. However, that person will develop chickenpox, not Shingles. A person with shingles should avoid contact with newborns, pregnant women or anyone with a weakened immune system until all of their fluid filled blisters have scabbed over. People with a weak immune system may include cancer patients receiving therapy, patients on steroid therapy, transplant patients or HIV and AIDS patients.
Shingles are usually heals on its own in a few weeks while being treated with anti-viral drugs, anticonvulsants ( such as neurontin), antidepressants and pain medications. A person recuperating should get plenty of rest, avoid stress and strenuous activity, use calamine lotion, pain medications their doctor prescribed and antihistamines (such as benadryl) for their itching.
Who should get the Shingles vaccine? Zostavax is recommended for All adults age 60 or over, whether or not they have had shingles previously. It is not meant to treat the active disease while in progress. The vaccine also does not guarantee that you won’t get shingles, but it will reduce the severity of the disease if it occurs and reduce your risk of developing post-herpetic neuralgia.
The chickenpox vaccine ( varivax) is recommended for adults who have never had chickenpox.
If you are in need of either the varivax or zostavax vaccine, please contact the Park Forest Health Department to schedule an immunization appointment at (708) 748-1118.
Jenise Ervin, RN, MSN
Director of Public Health
Park Forest Health Department