Let's bust some myths about shingles, the lesser-known infection caused by varicella-zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox. When your body's defence mechanism is low, this virus reactivates, causing a painful rash and maybe long-term nerve pain.
We're here to clarify the facts so you'll know how to stay safe from this illness. Getting the actual facts means you can stop shingles before it starts.
The Reality of Shingles: Symptoms and Complications
Shingles can start with a rash, but the pain comes first and can remain around long after the rash is gone.
Here are the signs and problems to watch for a few days after shingles occurs:
- A rash that kicks off with serious pain, feeling like a burn or sharp stab.
- Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), where the pain stays even after the rash is gone, sometimes for a long time.
- Pain that's not just lasting but can also be intense, hampering your daily life.
Knowing these signs means you can seek the right medical help early on, especially if your body's defences are low.
While it might seem uncommon, certain factors raise your chances of getting shingles, like:
- Getting older, because our immune system doesn't fight as well.
- A weak immune system, leaving you more susceptible to shingles.
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: A Severe Shingles Complication
PHN or Post-herpetic Neuralgia is the most common after-effect of shingles. It is characterised by deep pain long after the rash fades, sometimes lasting for months or years. It's proof that shingles is more than a rash—it can really affect your life. This throbbing pain can start before the rash and keep up even after it's gone.
Understanding the effects of PHN can help you see the real impact of shingles beyond the myths.
Shingles Prevalence: Debunking the Myth of Rarity
Myth 1: Shingles is a curse.
Fact: No. It is a viral infection that can occur in anyone who has had chickenpox. The virus can reactivate in any person with a poor immune system or certain ailments like leukaemia, HIV, etc.
Myth 2: Shingles is a skin condition that is curable with moisturisers and oils.
Fact: Not at all. It is a viral disease affecting the nerves in your body. It is characterised by a very painful body rash. Patients who have had shingles describe the pain as stinging, jabbing, or a burning sensation that doesn’t subside easily. Also, it is not curable with normal moisturisers or cosmetic oils.
Myth 3: You will die if the shingles rash crosses the body midline and the two ends of the rash meet.
Fact: The rash rarely crosses your body midline. It may happen only to those with very low immunity. However, it does NOT cause death. The reason why the shingles rash is usually seen on just one side of the body is because the virus responsible for it lives in the nerve roots and spreads along specific nerves located solely on that side. However, if a person's immune system becomes very weak, the virus may spread across a larger area of nerves, causing a rash to appear on both sides of the body.
Myth 4: Shingles occur only once in your lifetime.
Fact: Shingles can certainly occur again, although it is a rare occurrence. A single episode of shingles does not provide adequate immunity for lifetime protection, which is why doctors recommend taking the vaccine. Even if a second episode of shingles happens after vaccination, it will be a milder one.
Myth 5: Shingles and chickenpox are the same.
Fact: No, they aren’t. They are two different infections caused by the same virus, varicella-zoster. Chickenpox is milder than shingles. Shingles may resolve in a month but can cause long-lasting complications and pain.
Myth 6:The rash is the only major complication of shingles.
Fact: The rash is a manifestation of the infection. It is the characteristic pain that lasts even after the rash resolves and makes shingles more severe than chickenpox. The pain is called Post-Herpetic Neuralgia. Other post-recovery complications include a decrease or loss of vision and hearing, scarring, stomach upset, fever, chills, headache, etc.
Myth 7: Only older people get shingles.
Fact: The infection is common in people above 50, but it can occur in anyone with a weak immune system.
Myth 8: Shingles is not contagious.
Fact: Although the virus cannot be transmitted through open blisters and causes shingles, it can cause chickenpox in persons who have never had the infection before. With the varicella-zoster virus in their system, they become prone to shingles.
With these myths and facts in mind, it's clear that stopping shingles with something like a vaccine is a smart move.
Also Read : Understanding Shingles Causes and Symptoms: A Comprehensive Guide
Immunisation: Your Shield Against the Shingles Virus
Worried about shingles? If you've got health issues that affect your immunity, getting vaccinated is key. Here's why it can be your armour:
- It cuts down your risk of getting shingles and its lasting pain.
- By getting the shot, you're not just keeping yourself safe from shingles but also from PHN.
Understanding the significance of shingles vaccination is part of keeping yourself healthy and avoiding the worst this virus can do.
Embracing Prevention: Your Pathway to Shingles Management
Ready to take on shingles? Anyone who's had chickenpox is at risk. So, don't let shingles run your life. Make your shingles immunisation appointment with the best diagnostic center and stay ahead of the game.
