2023-04-17 15:12:00
In principle, anyone can get shingles (herpes zoster). However, older people and people with a weakened immune system are particularly affected. In order to protect themselves once morest shingles, the Standing Vaccination Commission therefore recommends vaccination once morest shingles for people over the age of 60 and people at risk of a severe course from the age of 50. The AOK points this out in a press release.
In the district of Tuttlingen, the regional AOK Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg records a consistently high number of AOK insured people aged 40 plus who suffer from shingles. In 2017 a total of 588 and in 2021 a total of 606 AOK policyholders with a diagnosis of shingles received medical treatment. During this period, a slightly increasing trend of four percent can be observed among female insured persons, while the number of affected men only slightly increased by two percent in the same period. Most cases of the disease occur in people in their mid-50s and peak in seniors aged 85+.
Shingles can be triggered by a weakened immune system, but also excessive stress, certain medications such as cortisone or insufficient sun protection. “The most common reason for contracting shingles, however, is the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus remaining in the body following surviving a chickenpox infection,” says Werner Reisbeck, AOK customer center manager in Tuttlingen.
The viral disease is passed on by a smear infection — in contrast to chickenpox, which spreads very easily through droplet infection — with the wind, so to speak. The first symptoms of shingles are fatigue and fever. After two to three days, there is a burning or stabbing, moderate to severe pain in the affected area, followed by slight reddening of the skin with small nodules that develop into blisters that can itch within a few hours. This stage lasts up to five days. The blisters then dry up within two to ten days, forming a yellowish crust. Overall, it usually takes two to four weeks until the disease is over.
“80 percent of those affected have severe pain limited to one side. Where it hurts, the typical skin rash usually develops later on,” says Werner Reisbeck. “The pain in the affected area is caused by the inflammation of the nerve tracts. They may persist for some time following the rash has healed. In rare cases, this pain becomes chronic, i.e. it persists permanently. In severe cases, the disease can also affect other organs, such as the brain, nervous system, lungs or liver. This can lead to a life-threatening course.”.
If there are signs of shingles, you should definitely visit your doctor’s office for clarification in order to make a clear diagnosis and to treat the pain according to its cause. Early treatment can prevent chronic pain and complications. To protect others from contamination, it’s a good idea to cover the affected area until the blisters are completely crusted over.
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