Are you at Risk for Shingles?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States 1 in 3 people will develop shingles, a painful rash illness from the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, at least once in their lifetime. John Mourani, MD, medical director of infectious diseases at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, shares what people should know about the shingles virus.

What are shingles?

Shingles are a painful rash, sometimes cluster, commonly on one area of the chest or the face but they can be anywhere on the body, having a tingling, itching or painful sensation. The rash can last between two to four weeks. When people get and recover from chickenpox, the virus does not leave the body but stays dormant, sleeping, in a nerve cell near the spine or brain. Once the chickenpox virus re-awakens, it travels through a nerve root to the skin where is manifests shingles.

Who is at risk most?

The group that is at highest risk are individuals older than 50 years of age, and immuno-compromised. Individuals with HIV, diabetes, autoimmune disorders and cancer are among those most vulnerable against shingles since the virus evades the normal immune defense mechanism and reactivates. Shingles is contagious to someone with no immunity to chickenpox, hasn’t been vaccinated or has not had the disease in the past.

It is important to note that individuals who received the chickenpox vaccine when they were children, can still develop shingles, but have a 78% lower rate of developing the rash than their unvaccinated peers.

Can shingles cause serious health complications?

Most people recover from shingles without severe complication, however some rare complications are significant and debilitating, such as Post Herpetic Neuralgia, which is a lingering nerve pain that lasts more than three months. In other rare cases, the rash can manifest as a facial rash, eye infection and inflammation, meningitis or encephalitis.

How to prevent shingles?

The CDC recommends a two dose vaccination for adults.

Shingles Treatment

There is a prescription of oral antiviral treatment when the rash starts that can be used within 72 hours of the infection and it will help heal the rash faster, decrease virus shedding and acute pain severity.

“If you think you’re at risk for shingles, it’s important that you speak with your primary care physician about a two-dose vaccination,” said Dr. Mourani. “Shingles can be painful, it can cause complications for those who are immunocompromised and it’s important to take steps to prevent it.”