You May Be At Risk for Shingles

shingles

You’ve probably heard of shingles and you may know someone who has had the condition, but did you know that 1 in 3 people are affected? Yes, you heard right. Shingles impact more than 1 million people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What is Shingles? 

Shingles is a common skin condition caused by the herpes zoster virus and characterized by a painful, persistent, and intensely itchy rash. Adults most commonly contract shingles, but anyone who has had the chickenpox virus is at risk.

Sign and Symptoms Include:

  • Tingling
  • Burning
  • Numbness
  • Stinging pain
  • Rash

The condition is best known for producing an intense rash, but may also cause headache, swollen glands, fever or chills. And you thought hot flashes were bad! A typical shingles outbreak may last between 3-4 weeks. Even after symptoms fade, stabbing pain, numbness and sensitivity may affect the skin. This is known as post-herpetic neuralgia and can be a lingering effect that lasts for months or years. 

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Prevention and Treatment

You can find ways to protect yourself. A shingles vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for people ages 50 and older. The CDC recommends Zostavax, a one-time vaccine that can significantly reduce the risk of shingles. Walgreens pharmacies and healthcare clinics nationwide offer shingles vaccinations daily, with no appointment necessary. 

If you have shingles, keep the affected area covered to prevent spreading. Wash your hands often and avoid scratching infected areas.

There are natural treatments you can try at home for symptom relief. Take a lukewarm oatmeal bath, apply a cool compress, or try a Shingles Skincare Ointment, a non-prescription treatment from Aidance Scientific, also available at Walgreens. This all-natural ointment is a gentle, fast and cooling way to provide skin relief. Terrasil blends powerful, all-natural ingredients with patented Activated Minerals™ for superior results. Jojoba oil soothes and softens skin, as peppermint oil acts as a cooling and cleansing agent. Beeswax nourishes and moisturizes, while bentonite minerals absorb impurities that may harm the skin.

While over-the-counter products exist to help relieve intense pain, rash, and irritation, they will not cure you of the shingles virus. Once you have contracted it, it lives within the body and can flare up at any time.

Visit your medical professional for more information on the shingles virus and shingles outbreaks. Only a doctor can properly diagnose you with shingles, and offer professional advice.

Find Community

By sharing your knowledge and experience, you can help someone else suffering from shingles. Join the conversation online to gain strength and find resources.

Related: Most Americans Track Health Data on IoT Devices, Says Survey

By Jenna Gagnon

 

 

30 thoughts on “You May Be At Risk for Shingles”

  1. I just got diagnosed with shingles
    Am taking anti viral med plus some supplements from chiropractor. Going to have my husband pick up terrasil today. I have been using capsdaicin cream for the pain

  2. Is the vaccine covered by most insurance companies & I have Fibromyalgia I can never get this, I feel it would completely take me dow. Has anyone had the vaccine, if so any side affects. Thank you in advance.

    1. I have fibromyalgia and get shingles its awful and i feel helpless i work so hard to fight my fibromyalgia then this keeps seting me back its so hard to fight im beat but when i get the shingles under controll i have to pick myself up and fight fight fight because when the cold comes i feel dead to the world the less i fight the worse the winter on my arthritis.

      1. Dear Beth – I pray that you are healed in the name of Jesus! You need to strengthen your immune system, which is being attacked. Fresh air, lots of water, rest, Vitamin C and the peace of God to help you overcome your battle.

        warm regards,
        carol doyel

    2. I have fibromyalgia and get shingles its awful and i feel helpless i work so hard to fight my fibromyalgia then this keeps seting me back its so hard to fight im beat but when i get the shingles under controll i have to pick myself up and fight fight fight because when the cold comes i feel dead to the world the less i fight the worse the winter on my arthritis.

    3. I had the vaccine at 75 years old and now at age 81 have the most painful case of Shingles possible. I have never been in so much pain. I am in the 8th week right now.

      1. My 72 yr old husband also had the shingles shot a few yrs ago and has shingles right now, on the side of the back. I had shingles at age 50 and never had the shingles shot.

  3. About two weeks ago I developed shingles on my scalp. While I have no visible blisters (only redness) the pain is excruciating. It’s like someone is rubbing ground glass into your scalp. The worst part is it seems to come and go – one day I have absolutely no discomfort and the next day a breeze is excruciating. Any recommendations for soothing this god-awful pain?

  4. I have fibromyalgia, RA, Epilepsy and now Shingles for the 3rd time in a year!!
    Does anyone know how often you can get the Shingles?! I have them on my chin!! A whole bunch of small blisters that are all watery when they burst!! Then as it heals a yellowish brownish crust forms over it, but somehow in the middle of the night I believe I scratch and dig it open! Any suggestions how not to do this and my question at the top of the page! Thank you in advance!
    Warm Regards, Debbie. Fort Wayne, IN.

  5. I need to know if you can get the shingles more then once in your lifetime. I had it last winter and it was up and down my spine, now I
    could swear that I had it again around Thanksgiving it was all over my face , ears and neck, it even went down my arms, I know that’s what I had but my new doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I felt like
    a freak and looked like one, but he said he couldn’t figure out what was so I had to live with it.

  6. I have something but no sure if it’s shingles but I have red rashes n I inch it real bad to a dark scar now it’s looks like chickpock I cant get rid of I hide n house I need help the doc gave some cream but it doesn’t work

  7. yvonne porterfield

    i have shigles that i got about 2 weeks ago. they burn so bad;i have lost weght and so sick on my stomach.has anyone else had this problem

    1. I have had Shingles since the last week in Feb. (9) weeks now. The pain had been so bad. I would wake up in the middle of the night and take a very warm shower. This only gave about 30 mins relief. I cried and prayed the Lord to take the pain away. The Lord told a sister in my church how I should treat them. I soaked in the bath tub of hot water, but not burning. Put 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 1/2 cups epsom salt in the water. Soak as long as you like. After drying well, I put tea tree oil on the sores and it burned for a little while, but gave me of relief. Also, I put Bragg apple cider vinegar w/cotton ball on the sores and that gave me relief. You can’t do this if your sores are open. Tea tree oil is also a great remedy for affected pain area. To boost your immune system put a drop of oragonol oil under your tongue. It is very strong, but if you can stand it do it 2X a day, morning & night. These things only comforted me for a while I yet have pain. Shingles is an illness from HELL.

    2. I got shingles about 2 weeks ago as well on my face, their very painful. I didn’t have stomach issues, I couldn’t sleep.

    1. The Dermatologist told my son today that you only get Shingles once.
      He also told him that Whoooping Cough is actually Chicken Pox Pneumonia ! I had it when I was only 4 yrs. old and that virus is still in my blood !

      1. My Dr and Pharmacist both told me that you can get shingles again. I asked other Doctors who didn’t know. I have heard of people getting it twice 🙁 my husband has it right now and he had the Shingles shot a few years ago. I had it on my leg 10 yrs ago. So much pain. Couldn’t be around babies who didn’t have their chicken pox shots yet

      2. Deborah Sherman-Naholoholo

        Not true. Once you have had shingles you can get repeated outbreaks. There is no set number of how many x nor how often. I have had 3 outbreaks this year. My 3rd began last night.

  8. >>> Did you know that 1 in 3 people are affected? Yes, you heard right. Shingles impacts more than 1 million people in the U.S. each year.

    You mean 1 in 300 don’t you? There is ~300 Million people in America, and if it was 1 in 3, there would be 100 Million with the ailment.

  9. I am going on week 9 of dealing with shingles! The nerve pain is just starting to taper down to about a 5 out of 10 pain level. I have it across my chest and my back. The blisters came and went after about 3 weeks. The rash is still lingering along with the pain? Can’t wear a shirt for any length of time! Sleeping with sheets? Forget about it! The air from a fan/AC unit is painful to feel. I’ve found comfort with cool showers/baths. Ice gel pack. I am applying a topical analgesic (Aspercream) or Lidocaine to the affected areas and it provides some comfort as it numbs away the pain for short periods. I’ve also tried a high CBD (cannabidiol) topical that seems to help a little. Caladryl also worked with the itching. i wish this on no one!

  10. I got a bad case of he shingles read the comments they are very painful I have it on the top of my head and hairline and my eye giung on week two still hurts bad mainly at night gonna try that cream someone recommended father god please make his pain go away and never come back and heal all who have this.

  11. I’m 62 years old and have develop the shingles virus. I’m in my 2nd week of shingles, it started on 12/16/17, I had a lot of tingling on the left side of my face. I went to Carenow and was diagnosed with the shingles virus. I was given meds & a hydrocortisone cream. I was a bit confused when the dr gave me the diagnosis, I’ve never had chickenpox as a child and not sure if I was vaccinated against it! My skin is in the healing process, but I have a cluster of spots where the blisters were, I’m still feeling the lingering pain. Has anyone had any success with using the Terrasil shingles skincare ointment from Aidance scientific that’s available at Walgreens. Need any and all good advice from the shingles community.

    1. Please be sure to check on a condition called phn my mom is eighty two she had shingles to break out eight months ago the rash is long gone but the nerve pain is still there. She sees a pain management Dr that has put her on nucynta and it has helped steroid injections did nothing for the pain. Hope this might help some of you.in addition to my mom having them,my husband has had them around his eyes five different times in nine years.So from what I can tell about him if u are diabetic make sure you keep that blood sugar under control and check your sugar levels often. It’s the pits when you have a stroke at 36 years old and are completely blind in one eye and only have half of your vision in the other eye and no short term memory due to the stroke but it could be a lot worse. The shingles are really bad on anybody but especially an elderly person. So if you are caring for an elderly person and they have shingles and the pain stays for months after the rash please try to see a pain management Dr they can do things that an ordinary pcp can’t do,exhaust the pcp then if not better hunt a pain management Dr.

  12. I had the shingles shot
    an a few months later I god a bad case of shingles I have had them 4 times now I have them now I am using terrasil. not much help.

  13. This cream is a lifesaver. I am on my 4th (and worst) bout of shingles. I couldn’t have made it through without Terrasil. I recommended it to my primary care APRN and to the RN at my oncologists office. When I go for my next checkup, I will take it with me and tell my oncologist about it.

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You May Be At Risk for Shingles
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