Shingles: what is it and what should you know about it?
Shingles is a condition that many people have heard of but often know little about. Yet about one in four people will contract it in their lifetime. What exactly is shingles, how do you recognise it and what can you do about it? In this blog, we list the most important information.
What is it anyway?
Shingles is a condition that mostly affects people over the age of 50. About one in four people will experience it at some point. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a chickenpox infection, this virus remains dormant in your body and can become active again years later as shingles.
The first symptoms are often vague: pain, itching or a burning sensation in one area of the body. After a few days, red spots and blisters appear, usually on one side of the body in a kind of band. The rash usually heals within a few weeks, but the pain can sometimes persist for months.
Infectiousness and risk
Shingles itself is not directly contagious. However, someone with shingles can transmit the virus to someone who has never had chickenpox. That person then gets chickenpox, not shingles. The risk of shingles increases with age, especially after the age of 50. Stress and reduced immunity also increase the risk.
Treatment and possible complications
If shingles is suspected, it is important to contact your GP quickly. Antiviral drugs work best if you get there within 72 hours and reduce the likelihood of long-term pain symptoms. In most cases, shingles heals without any problems. However, sometimes prolonged nerve pain persists. If the rash is on the face or around the eye, prompt treatment is especially important.
Special discovery in shingles vaccine
There is an effective vaccine against shingles. It reduces the chance of contracting the disease and reduces the severity of symptoms. Interestingly, recent research shows that people who get vaccinated are less likely to develop dementia later. The exact explanation is still under investigation, but possibly preventing viral reactivation and inflammation in the nervous system helps. The vaccine is officially intended to prevent shingles, but this possible extra benefit makes vaccination all the more interesting.
Vaccination is possible at Vaccination Point
Shingles is usually not dangerous, but it can cause a lot of pain and long-term symptoms. By recognising symptoms in time and considering vaccination, you can prevent many problems. Are you interested in the shingles vaccination? Then you can easily make an appointment on our website and drop by at a location near you!
