What is shingles?
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster (HZ), is caused by the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox. 98% of adults in Hong Kong had chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox, even if they are in good health, has a chance to develop shingles. People who recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles as the virus enters their nervous system and lies dormant for years. If their immune system becomes weakened, the virus may reactivate.
Starting from the age of 50, the risk of developing shingles doubles every year. The risk of developing persistent neuralgia is also higher. People who have diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus are at higher risk than healthy individuals.
How is shingles connected to brain health?
A recent study1 in The Alzheimer's Association’s journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia, found that HZ immunization was associated with a reduced risk of dementia at 3 and 5 years post-vaccination compared to Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) immunization. Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was associated with a reduced risk of dementia compared to live-attenuated zoster vaccine (ZVL) at 3 and 5 years post-vaccination.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
The patient will develop painful red rashes that consist of blisters on one side of the face, back, waist, head or neck. The pain may last for a month, and many describe it hurt more than childbirth and post-surgery. A shingle rash near the facial nerves by one’s eyes or ears can cause other complications, including hearing loss and blindness. Other possible complications include acute viral encephalitis, stroke, and post-herpetic neuralgia.
About one-quarter of patients suffer from post-herpetic neuralgia. Some suffer from nerve pain like shooting, stabbing or burning sensation for months, some even last for years.
Sometimes, patients feel very sensitive to touching and need long term painkiller medications which significantly affect their quality of life.
How do you prevent shingles?
New generation shingles vaccine is approved by US FDA and EU EMA. Vaccine is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. People who aged 50 or above and aged 18 or above high-risk individuals should receive two doses of this vaccine (with each dose administered 2-6 months apart).
Side effects are temporary, including sore arm with mild or moderate pain, redness and swelling at injection site, tiredness, muscle pain, a headache, shivering, fever, stomach pain, or nausea. Symptoms went away on their own in about 2 to 3 days.
You should not get the vaccine if you have severe allergic rection to any component of the vaccine of the previous dose, currently have shingles or currently are pregnant or breastfeeding.
