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What are Shingles?
It seems like no matter who you're talking with, everyone knows someone who's had a case of shingles. Shingles is an infection caused by a virus called herpes zoster. Some of the viewers may know that name as the virus that causes chicken pox. This virus has a double action as after it causes chicken pox, it stays in the body, ready to cause more problems. After the chicken pox blisters heal, the virus becomes inactive and stays in the nerve cells. Decades later, the virus can become active again and travel down the nerve fibers to the skin. That means anyone who has had chickenpox, and that's about 90% of the people in the United States, is at risk for shingles later in life. In fact, shingles usually occurs in people over age 50, and your risk of developing shingles doubles between ages 50 and 60 years. It doubles again between ages 80 to 90 years. What are the typical symptoms/signs of Shingles? The first sign of shingles is often burning pain, itchiness, or numbness in one location, usually on only one side of the body. This is one of the primary differences between chicken pox and shingles as chicken pox usually spreads all over the body. After 3-5 days, a rash of fluid-filled blisters, similar to chickenpox, may appear. Within 14 days, the blisters fill with pus and then form a scab. After this point, they no longer contain the virus. The rash usually goes away in about 3 to 5 weeks, but the pain may persist longer than that. Why are they so painful? Shingles can make you very uncomfortable because of virus association with the nerves. Additionally, some people develop a more severe complication from shingles and experience intense pain even after the blisters are gone. This condition is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and can result in a pain that is very difficult to cope with. The pain from PHN may last for months, and even years. Are shingles contagious? Yes, but only for those who have not had chicken pox. Let me explain. Outbreaks of shingles are caused by the body's immune system reactivating the virus. Coming into contact with a person who has contagious shingles sores does not affect the immune system process of a person who has the inactive virus. But people with shingles can spread the virus from broken blisters through skin-to-skin contact to someone who has not had chickenpox or been vaccinated to prevent chicken pox, because they have no immunity to the virus. To state is simply, a person who has shingles can cause another person to develop chicken pox, not shingles. When should a person seek medical attention for Shingles? You should go to the doctor as soon as you suspect shingles. Shingles should be diagnosed and treated within 72 hours after the rash appears to reduce the severity and any complications. Are cases of shingles becoming more common? Absolutely! As baby boomers and the rest of the population age, we can expect that shingles will be seen more frequently by pharmacists and doctors. Remember the statistics from the beginning. The risk doubles after fifty and doubles again between 80 and 90. Can shingles be cured? People who get shingles develop immunity to the herpes zoster virus and usually do not get it again, although about 4 in 100 people will have another outbreak in the future. If shingles does recur, the rash usually does not appear in the same location as the first outbreak. What relief options are there? Over-the-counter? Prescription? Non-medical? Prescription antiviral drugs taken immediately after the first signs of an outbreak can greatly reduce the length of the outbreak as well as the discomfort you may feel. Examples of antiviral drugs used to treat shingles include acyclovir (Zovirax®), valcyclovir (Valtrex®), or famcyclovir (Famvir®). These drugs, as well as steroids, such as prednisone, antidepressants, and seizure medications, can help with the painful symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia. Your doctor or Cub Pharmacist may also recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Motrin®) or acetaminophen (Tylenol®), but some patients may need prescription pain relievers for relief. Zostavax® is a vaccine approved for preventing shingles in people 60 and older who have had chickenpox. The vaccine has been successful to reduce the expected number of shingles cases by half. For those people who still may develop shingles, Zostavax® can decrease the severity and complications of shingles. Anyone who has a history of shingles can safely receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent reoccurrence. Ask your Cub Pharmacist about whether Zostavax® is right for you. Would a booster shot of the chicken pox vaccine prevent Shingles from developing? Yes, but only in patients who have never had chicken pox or do not have evidence of immunity. Now that we covered the basics of shingles, look to your friendly, knowledgeable Cub Pharmacist to answer any questions about shingles treatment and prevention. Your Cub Pharmacists will also be able to offer the convenience of getting your shingles vaccine and many others in your neighborhood pharmacy after August 1. Information provided by Supervalu Clinical Services division. Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines NINDS Shingles Information Page. Last updated May 09, 2008. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/shingles.htm Zamula, Evelyn. "Shingles: An Unwelcome Encore." FDA Consumer: June 2005. Available at http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2001/301_pox.html Pray, Steven. "Shingles: A Rising Threat with Age." U.S. Pharmacist. Available at http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/Cons/ACF2F21.cfm&pub_id=8&article_id=53
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