Will the Shingles Shot Prevent You From Getting Shingles Again?
Ask the Adept: Should You Get the Shingles Vaccine?
Dr. Goswami and Dr. Lachtchinina
If y'all suffered through chickenpox as a child, there is no doubt that you never want to experience that type of discomfort again. While it'due south rare to get chickenpox twice, for many the chickenpox virus reappears years later in the form of another painful illness: shingles. In fact, there are approximately one million new cases of shingles each yr. Drs. Alpana Goswami and Janna Lachtchinina, board certified internists, discuss the facts about shingles and the benefits of the shingles vaccine.
What is shingles?
Shingles is a painful skin rash that is often accompanied by blisters. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you experienced chickenpox as a child, the virus remains dormant in your body and tin can reactivate many decades afterwards.
Who is at run a risk for shingles?
Anyone who had chickenpox can develop shingles. As you age, the antibodies yous developed to the chickenpox virus brainstorm to fade. Past the time you reach your 60s, yous have few antibodies left to protect yous. Any major health event can then lead to a reactivation of the virus.
Shingles is about probable to develop in someone whose immune system is compromised. This includes those suffering from such conditions every bit COPD, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or some other chronic condition. Medication that suppresses the immune organization, such as radiation, chemotherapy or steroids, likewise puts individuals at increased gamble. For some, age itself is the greatest run a risk factor. After the historic period of fifty, the lifetime risk of developing shingles is 30 per centum.
Shingles should exist treated like any active viral infection. If you are experiencing active symptoms, it'south specially important to stay away from those with weakened immune systems and those who have never had chickenpox.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
The most mutual symptoms include hurting and a tingling or called-for sensation. In almost patients a rash develops within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of pain. The rash can then turn to blisters that may leak fluid before crusting over.
The near common areas for the rash to develop are the scalp, cervix, shoulders and chest wall. The shingles rash typically does not cross the midline of the torso. While the majority of patients develop a rash, at that place are some patients who experience the hurting and called-for sensation merely no rash develops.
When should I come across my dr.?
Well-nigh patients seek medical aid because the pain and burning experience and so peculiar. Nosotros usually see patients within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms and that's the best time to brainstorm treatment. The afterward you begin handling for shingles, the greater the hazard you will develop complications from the affliction.
Lesions on the optics or face can affect the nerves around your heart and the eye muscles, and so seeing an ophthalmologist apace is crucial to avoid complications that can touch your vision.
If I develop shingles, how long does it last and are in that location any long-term side effects?
Active symptoms typically concluding an average of 10 to 15 days, although these symptoms can linger depending on how extensive the affected area is. Some people develop blisters that leak fluid before crusting over. Patients can also experience influenza-similar symptoms, including trunk aches, fever, chills, and fatigue. Information technology typically takes four to half-dozen weeks for all the symptoms of shingles to resolve.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the worst complication of shingles and the take a chance of experiencing this complication increases with age. PHN is a severe nervus pain that can concluding from days or weeks to months or even years in extreme cases. Anyone whose rash occurs on the scalp, neck and shoulder surface area may be at an increased risk of experiencing PHN. While the majority of individuals who get shingles will not have PHN, information technology can exist debilitating for those who do experience it.
How is shingles treated?
Because the shingles virus is a herpes virus, the mainstay of treatment involves antiviral therapy for a minimum of one to two weeks. Information technology'south extremely of import to complete the grade of therapy fifty-fifty if you are feeling better. Information technology unremarkably takes about 48 to 72 hours to meet the impact of the antiviral medication. When initiated quickly after the onset of symptoms, antiviral medication may shorten the severity and duration of the affliction and subtract the adventure of developing PHN.
Pain is most often treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, although sometimes the pain is then severe that narcotic medication is required. If the patient cannot tolerate narcotics, nosotros tin also prescribe anticonvulsant drugs.
Itching tin be treated with over-the-counter medications such as cortisone, calamine lotion and Benadryl cream. The goal is non to scratch the blisters, which could cause the area to become infected. Topical medications can also be used to protect the skin from infection.
It is possible to become shingles more than than one time. Patients who doubtable they may exist experiencing a recurrence of shingles should begin treatment as soon every bit they observe the new symptoms, since early on treatment may prevent these patients from getting the full-blown rash.
Should I get the shingles vaccine and, if then, when?
A vaccine for shingles was approved by the FDA in 2006.The vaccine is currently canonical for adults over the age of fifty but the American College of Physicians recommends waiting to vaccinate until the age of 60 to ensure that the vaccine is most constructive when the complications from shingles tin can exist more severe. Equally you historic period, your odds of developing a more serious instance of shingles, equally well as postherpetic neuralgia, increase.
After the age of lx, the shingles vaccine is 51 percent effective in preventing shingles and 67 percentage effective in preventing postherpetic neuralgia. The protective furnishings of the vaccine diminish subsequently v years, so the afterward y'all receive the vaccine the better chance y'all will accept of protecting yourself. Those who still develop shingles later receiving the vaccine should experience less severe symptoms.
Approximately 4 percent of patients who develop shingles will feel a recurrence of the disease. If you accept already experienced shingles, getting vaccinated may help yous prevent a recurrence and should reduce the elapsing and severity of new symptoms should the disease recur.
Is there anyone who should not get the shingles vaccine?
The shingles vaccine is a live virus and, therefore, should not exist given to anyone with a weakened allowed system. This includes individuals who are existence treated with radiation or chemotherapy or who are on steroid medications. The vaccine also should not be given to anyone who has had a life-threatening reaction to the ingredients in the vaccine, so talk to your dr. about your specific wellness state of affairs.
Does the shingles vaccine have any possible side effects?
Minor reactions at the site of the injection include redness, swelling and itching. Patients may too experience some flu-like symptoms. Always call your chief care medico if yous experience any side furnishings from a vaccination.
How long should a patient wait to get a shingles vaccine once they've had shingles?
You have to look until the lesions are completely gone, which usually takes 4-6 weeks. I recommend waiting vi-viii weeks before getting the vaccination.
If you were never vaccinated for chicken pox (over 50, there was no vaccination at that time), and have never had craven pox, tin I get shingles? Should I be vaccinated for chicken pox and shingles?
If you've never had craven pox, no. If you did not get chicken pox every bit a kid, don't go either vaccinations, it is likely that y'all are immune to the affliction. It's very rare to give an adult the vaccine for craven pox. Adults exercise not practice well with babyhood vaccinations because they tin finish up with complications.
I had a balmy example of shingles 2 years ago. I thought information technology was merely a rash, only it hurt and wouldn't go abroad so I went to a walk-in clinic. They said it was shingles and information technology was treated. When I saw my internist months later for a concrete, she said not to get the shingles shot, since actually having the illness is much ameliorate than the shot.
Is what my internist said correct? Should I get the shingles vaccine, and if and then, how long is the vaccine good for?
No, yous still need the vaccine, especially if they didn't prove information technology was shingles. Almost people accept no side furnishings from the shot, and so unless y'all have another medical status that compromises your allowed system or have had a bad reaction in the past, there is no reason the side effects should scare you off. Yous should get the vaccine, definitely, if you are over 60.
Since the shingles vaccine is relatively new, how long the vaccine lasts is a question that'southward notwithstanding being studied. At this point we know the vaccine provides v years of protection at the very to the lowest degree, but it's possible that you would only need to get it in one case in your life . By the time you would demand a follow-upward shot, the research will be much further forth!
About Dr. Alpana Goswami
Dr. Alpana Goswami received her medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical Higher in New Delhi, India. She completed residencies at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Greater Baltimore Medical Eye. She is board certified in internal medicine and has a special focus on diabetes, hypertension, hyperlidemia, heart disease, obesity and fettle. Dr. Goswami previously served as the chair of internal medicine at Suburban Hospital.
About Dr. Janna Lachtchinina
Dr. Janna Lachtchinina received her medical degree from one of the superlative universities in Russia and completed her grooming at a George Washington University affiliated hospital. She is lath certified in internal medicine and is focused on treating chronic medical conditions besides as astute disease management and preventive healthcare.
Learn more nearly Dr. Goswami and Dr. Lachtchinina by visiting http://drgoswami.com/.
The office of Dr. Goswami and Dr. Lachtchinina11125 Rockville Pike, Suite 110
Rockville, Medico 20852
301-984-3100
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Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/suburban_hospital/about_the_hospital/news_publications/ask_the_expert_archive100419/shingles_vaccination.html
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