“Shingles” and 3 popular things that you may have misunderstood all along. Shingles is a disease that has been known since we were children. Because most of us may have seen friends have it, relatives have it, or we may have it ourselves with obvious symptoms. Such as blisters or clear fluid inside, appearing on areas of the body. Whether it be the arms, legs, face, back, or neck, and may be accompanied by a fever.
Even though when we were kids, we were worried about the scars that it might leave on our bodies. But what is more worrisome is shingles in the elderly. Professor Dr. Somsak Lohlekha said that shingles can affect the patient’s life, such as numbness, inability to move the body, loss of appetite, insomnia, depression, anxiety, mood swings, loss of confidence, and reluctance to socialize. The older the patient is, the more severe the symptoms may be, and may become chronic for many years.
What is Shingles?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oraphitchaya Krairit, Geriatric Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, said. “Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus that hides in nerve ganglia under the skin after the first infection. The virus will remain dormant for decades until the body’s immunity is low, especially due to aging. The latent virus will spread along the nerve ganglia, causing nerve damage.
Symptoms will appear as a red rash and clear blisters arranged in groups along the nerves. Patients will suffer from the following symptoms. Which are burning pain in the ทางเข้า UFABET สำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ สมัครวันนี้ รับโบนัสฟรี skin area, even when touched lightly. This pain will directly affect daily life. In some patients, the pain may be so severe that it affects their sleep.”
Symptoms of Shingles
Shingles symptoms start with a burning pain in the ribs, face and arms. After 2-3 days, a red rash will appear in the painful area and turn into blisters. The rash is usually arranged in groups or in a long line along a nerve. The rash usually disappears on its own within 2 weeks.
Complications of Shingles
Shingles may heal on its own without any serious harm. However, if there are complications, it can be more dangerous to the body than before, such as chronic pain for another 3-12 months, bacterial infections of the eyes, complications in the ears, or it can be as severe as pneumonia and meningitis, which can cause death. Complications are found in up to 50 percent of patients over the age of 50 and more than 70 percent of patients over the age of 70.
“Shingles” and 3 popular things that you may have misunderstood all along
- Is it true that shingles around the waist will cause death?
The answer is not true. Shingles will cause a rash on only one side of the body. However, in people with low immunity, the disease may spread more than normal and be life-threatening, especially if there is a secondary infection.
- If you have had shingles, will you not get it again?
Answer : False. Although most people will not get shingles again, if the body is weak, especially in patients with low immunity, there is a chance that it will happen again. - Can I get a second shot of the shingles vaccine if I’ve already been vaccinated against chickenpox?
The answer is no. We can get another shot of the shingles vaccine because even though the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles are the same, the shingles vaccine is 14 times more concentrated than the chickenpox vaccine. So even though both vaccines can protect the body from the same virus, they cannot be used as a substitute for each other.
Therefore, if you suspect that you have shingles, you should see a doctor immediately to prevent possible complications. And for those who have never had shingles or do not want to have it again because of the risk, you can ask your doctor to get a shingles vaccine.