People with especially weak immune systems, such as those with cancer or anyone undergoing immunosuppressive treatments, should avoid Zostavax since the vaccine contains a weakened form of the live virus. “It reduces the risk of getting shingles by about half, and shingles rashes that still develop are slightly less likely to cause postherpetic pain, or other serious complications,” says Dr. The vaccination that prevents chickenpox in children was used to develop a similar vaccine (Zostavax) that protects against shingles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that almost all people ages 60 and older be vaccinated against shingles, whether or not they had chicken pox in their youth or have had shingles before, says Dr. The same study reported an increased risk for heart attacks in the three months after shingles, but the additional risk dissipated after six months. A PLOS Medicine study that tracked about 67,000 people ages 65 and older who were newly diagnosed with shingles found that stroke risk more than doubled in the first week after the shingles diagnosis. When the nerve to the ear is affected, it can permanently damage hearing or balance. Pain and rash near an eye can cause permanent eye damage and requires an urgent ophthalmological exam. Many people are left with an itchy area from their shingles, which can be as disabling as chronic pain. This often-disabling pain can last several months to a year. Pain that lingers in the area of a healed shingles rash is called postherpetic neuralgia. Rapid treatment with one of three antiviral drugs, acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), or famciclovir (Famvir), can shorten a shingles attack and reduce the risk of serious damage, such as: “But in fact a shingles rash should alert people, especially in middle or old age, to seek immediate medical help,” says Dr. Many people have the mistaken impression that, like poison ivy, shingles is a nuisance rash that fades on its own. However, it is possible to have rashes that are so mild they’re not even noticed. You also may feel sick or fatigued, with a slight fever or headache. Fluid-filled blisters develop, break, and crust over during and a few weeks after an outbreak. Most cases of shingles cause severe pain and itching, and can leave scars. The most common locations are the chest, back, or stomach, or above one eye. The rash often appears on only one side of your body. It then travels along a nerve to trigger a rash in the skin connected to that nerve. When your immunity weakens from normal aging or from illnesses or medications, the virus can re-emerge. After the telltale spots of chickenpox vanish, the virus lies dormant in your nerve cells near the spinal cord and brain. The same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. Anne Louise Oaklander, director of the Nerve Unit at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “In fact, one in three is predicted to get shingles during their lifetime,” says Dr. If you had chickenpox as a kid, there is a good chance you may develop shingles later in life. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed. ARCHIVED CONTENT: As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
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