Why Shingles Could Be The Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of?

Caused by the same virus as chickenpox, shingles is a common condition that affects mainly older adults. It’s a viral infection that causes a painful rash that can appear anywhere on your body. Shingles is usually not a serious condition for adults who are generally healthy, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks. Left untreated, shingles can cause life-threatening complications and even death.

How Dangerous are Shingles?

Most people who contract the shingles virus will recover without any complications. With treatment, the uncomfortable symptoms of shingles should clear up within 2-4 weeks. Left untreated, severe cases of shingles can become very serious. Antiviral medication is usually the first course of treatment given when you’re diagnosed with shingles.

shingles vaccination

Some groups are more likely to experience complications from shingles, including: 

  • People over the age of 65
  • People with autoimmune diseases
  • Pregnant women
  • Those undergoing cancer treatment

Shingles Complications

Up to 18% of people who have an outbreak will experience the most common shingles related complication postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN causes long-term nerve pain in the area where the shingles rash appeared. The older you are when your outbreak occurs, the more likely you are to experience PHN.

Other shingles complications include:

  • Bacterial skin infections
  • Hearing loss
  • Vision loss
  • Partial paralysis in facial muscles
  • Meningitis
  • Stroke
  • Pneumonia
  • Permanent damage to your central nervous system
  • Brain swelling
  • Shock
  • Sepsis

Given that many of these complications can be life-changing or even fatal, it’s important to treat shingles and to protect yourself from infection.

Shingles Vaccination in Northampton and Streatham

The shingles vaccine is an effective way to protect yourself against shingles. Given as a single injection into the arm, it can give you lifelong protection against shingles. Even if you’ve already had shingles, a vaccination against shingles can help to prevent the virus from reactivating in your system.

The vaccine is only available on the NHS to over 70s so everyone else will need to get the vaccine privately.

Even if you aren’t in a high risk group, a shingles outbreak can be very painful, uncomfortable, and life disrupting. Reduce your chance of infection by booking shingles vaccination in Northolt and Ramsgate with Touchwood Pharmacy. 

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