Originally published in Hideaway Lake News on July 30, 2021
Earlier this summer I had a painful bump on my shoulder that I thought was a bug bite. Two days later there were a few blisters in the same area and I cursed myself for getting into poison ivy. Then a couple of days later, I had a band of excruciatingly painful blisters on a red base. Never once in the early days did it occur to me that I might have shingles, although I have diagnosed and treated many patients with this painful rash over the years. I was in denial – nah, I’m not old enough for shingles! It has to be the poison ivy I got into while clearing my yard!
For those of you not familiar with shingles – here it is in a nutshell. It is an extremely painful rash that appears as a band of blisters along a nerve. It is usually on one side of the body, often on the trunk or face. It occurs due to reactivation of the chicken pox virus. You cannot give shingles to another person, but if you have an active shingles rash, you can give chicken pox to someone who has not yet been vaccinated against chickenpox, such as infants. The rash can last for 2-3 weeks and some people can later develop a chronic pain syndrome called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is the presence of sharp, stabbing and/or burning pain for months after the rash has healed. If you are unlucky enough to get shingles along the nerve close to the eye or ear, you could lose your sight or hearing. So this is pretty serious stuff.
Treatment with an antiviral drug works best if started early, preferably within 72 hours after you first notice the rash. If it has been more than 72 hours, it may still help some people reduce pain, the number of new blisters and the risk of PHN. Some people may have burning or stabbing pain even before the rash appears. If there is eye or ear involvement, then your doctor will work with the ophthalmologist or ENT and follow you very closely. She will also watch the rash for any signs of superimposed bacterial infection. All this to say, shingles is not something to be taken lightly at all.
I was scheduled to get my shingles vaccine when I turned 50 last year – but I had put it off due to the pandemic. This year, I got the rash just two weeks before I was to have my vaccine. While it is common to get shingles at an older age, you can certainly get it sooner. The shingles vaccine, Shingrix, is excellent (>90% effective) at preventing shingles after two doses which are given 2-6 months apart. It is a once in a lifetime series for people 50 and over. If you got the older vaccine Zostavax, you can still get Shingrix for better protection – make sure and talk to your doctor about it. So, if you are 50 or older, run, don’t walk to get the shots and protect yourself. I would not wish this pain on anyone else! If you recently got your COVID vaccine, then make sure and wait at least two weeks before getting Shingrix.
Next time you get a painful bump or a cluster of blisters, in addition to thinking about a bug bite, poison ivy or allergic reaction, think about shingles too. Even if you think you’re too young for it. Additionally, do protect yourself with insect repellant, gloves and lightweight clothing that fully covers your arms and legs so you don’t get bug bites, poison ivy or poison oak when you’re outdoors working in your yard.
Have a wonderful summer y’all!