There is no certain way to tell if your elderly loved one is going to get shingles. However, it is important to know more about the symptoms that occur with shingles, risk factors for shingles, and the shingles vaccine. By knowing more about this health condition, you can better help your loved one.
Defining Shingles and the Causes for It
First, it is important to know that shingles is always caused by the exact virus that chickenpox comes from. This is called VZV or varicella-zoster virus. If your elderly loved one has ever had chickenpox, this virus is still likely in their body. According to the CDC, 1 in every 3 adults who have had chickenpox, will develop shingles.
Shingles affects the nerves all throughout one’s body. However, the rash from this virus will generally only surface on one side of your loved one’s body.
Symptoms of Shingles
If you or elderly care providers are caring for your loved one, it is important to know more about the symptoms of shingles. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your elderly loved one, you should take them to the doctor.
These symptoms include the following:
Nerve pain that shoots through their limbs
Burning sensation
Itching
Blisters
Rash
Body aches
Fever
Headache
For many elderly adults, the pain associated with shingles can be severe. In many cases, shingles won’t disappear for 3 to 5 weeks. In addition, there are some senior citizens that get complications from this condition. Most often this is known as postherpetic neuralgia or PHN. This causes severe damage to their nerve cells and may last for over a year.
Risk Factors Involved with Shingles
As previously mentioned, anyone who has gotten chickenpox before has the risk of developing shingles. However, there are 2 main groups that have a higher risk of getting shingles. These include the following:
Senior citizens – More than half of those who get shingles are 60 or older. There is a higher risk for those who are 70 or older.
Immunocompromised – Any adult who has an autoimmune disorder such as multiple sclerosis or lupus have a higher risk or getting shingles. In addition, those who have HIV or who are getting treatments for cancer, have a higher risk, as well.
If your loved one falls into either one of these categories, you should keep an eye out for the symptoms of shingles.
Getting the Shingles Vaccine
The CDC recommends that adults who are 50 or older get a shingles vaccine. This is a 2-part vaccine that adults get 6 months apart from one another. This protects them from PHN and shingles.
Now that you know more about shingles, you can help to take better care of your elderly loved one.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fshingles%2Fabout%2Foverview.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/index.html