By Kathrine Alderman Riverbend News
Many people have heard or know of a virus called shingles, but what is it really and how can you prevent yourself or others from getting it?
Shingles is a virus caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. So, anyone who has ever had chickenpox has a chance to develop shingles. The reason for this is due to, after recovering from chickenpox, the virus enters the nervous system and lies dormant for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along the nerve pathways of the affected person's skin, causing shingles.
This isn't to say everyone who has had chickenpox will develop shingles. Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weakened immune systems. The true reason for shingles still isn't clear, but it could be due to lowered immunity to infections with progressive age.
Some factors which may increase the risk of developing shingles are: being older than 50, as the risk increases with age; having certain diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, which weaken the immune system; undergoing cancer treatments, as radiation and chemotherapy can lower resistance to diseases and taking certain medications, such as drugs designed to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, or prolonged use of steroids.
Though shingles isn't a life-threatening condition, it can be very painful. The signs and symptoms of shingles usually affect only a small section of one side of the body. These signs may include: a feeling of pain, burning, numbness or tingling; sensitivity to touch; a red rash which begins a few days after the pain; fluid-filled blisters that break open and crust over and itching. Some people also experience a fever, headache, sensitivity to light and fatigue. Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles and some can experience the pain without ever developing a rash. Most commonly, however, the shingles rash develops as a stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or right side of a person's torso. Sometimes the rash can occur around one eye or on the side of the neck or face.
One should contact their doctor quickly if they suspect they have shingles, but especially if: the pain and rash occur near an eye, as this can lead to permanent eye damage if left untreated; aged 60 or older, as age significantly increases the risk of complications; you or someone in your family has a weakened immune system or if the rash is widespread and painful.
If one develops shingles, they can pass the varicella-virus to anyone who isn't immune to chickenpox. This generally happens through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash. Once infected, the person will develop chickenpox, not shingles. Chickenpox can be dangerous to some people, so until shingles blisters scab over, a person is contagious and should avoid contact with anyone who hasn't yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, especially people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.
Luckily, shingles does have a vaccine! The shingles vaccine cannot completely eliminate the risk of shingles, but it can help prevent it and likely will reduce the severity of the disease if developed. The shingles vaccine is offered in Live Oak at: CVS, located at 1005 Ohio Ave. S; Walgreens, located at 1515 Ohio Ave. S and Cheek and Scott Drugs Inc., located at 1520 Ohio Ave. S. It is also available in Branford at the North Florida Pharmacy, located at 305 US-27 SW.
The shingles vaccine is used only as a prevention strategy. It is not a form of treatment for those who currently have shingles. So, be sure to talk to your doctor if you develop shingles and find the best course of action with them.