OverSixty January 2023 Issue

11 LIVEWELL OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | ISSUE 3 | JANUARY 2023 “As you get older, your immune system stops paying attention to the virus for a period of time so that it grows down the nerve root, unimpeded,” Dr McGeer explains. “The re- sulting skin rashes have distinctive shapes because they follow the pattern of the nerves as they give feeling to our skin.” Most shingles outbreaks last no more than a week or two but for some patients, while the rashes and blisters fade, the tingling and burning from what is called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), or nerve damage, can last with little respite. Shingles may also lead to a serious eye complication, herpes zoster oph- thalmicus, in about 10-20% of shingles pa- tients. On rare occasions, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis), or death. Is shingles contagious? Unlike chicken pox, shingles isn’t contagious. If you’re exposed to someone with shingles, you will not get the virus as long as you have had chicken pox, Dr McGeer says. Howev- er, if you’ve never had chicken pox and are exposed to someone with shingles, you may come down with the childhood disease. Preventing shingles Given that one in three adults over the age of 50 will develop the disease, it is best to pre- The ‘other’ virus putting seniors at risk LISA FITTERMAN LIVE WELL M ost of us remember getting chicken pox as kids. But what many don’t know is that the virus that causes it, varicella zoster, will continue to lurk in the nerve endings of our spinal cords, lying dormant before pouncing again at a time when our immune systems are caught off guard. The result? Shingles, also known as herpes zoster. Coping with a shingles diagnosis There is no cure for shingles. Its name comes from the Latin and French words for “belt” because it often appears at waist level, part- ly circling the body. Microbiologist Allison McGeer says the symptoms tend to occur on one side of the body because only a single nerve root is usually involved. These may include numbness or tingling, itching and fatigue, headaches, high fever, a sensitivity to light and excruciating nerve pain that can leave you unable to function. vent an outbreak in the first place. For this you have to get a vaccine. At present, there are two vaccines available in Australia for the prevention of herpes zos- ter and its complications. Shingrix, currently available in Australia under private prescription only, is the pre- ferred vaccine for people over 50 due to its higher efficacy against herpes zoster – about 97% in adults 50 years and older and 91% in those aged 70 years and older, according to Australia’s Immunisation Coalition. It is also available on private prescription for high risk people 18 years and older. The second vaccine, Zostavax, is a live attenuated (weakened) vaccine, for use in people aged 50 years and older. It is free for all adults aged 70 years through the Nation- al Immunisation Program (NIP), with a sin- gle catch up dose funded under the NIP for adults between 71-79 years of age until 31 October 2023. People in this age group have a high likelihood of developing shingles and PHN. Zostavax’s efficacy against PHN in this age group is 66%. Vaccination of other age groups is available on prescription and can be purchased by patients. Speak with your healthcare provider to determine the best fit for you as previous his- tory needs to be taken into account. If you’ve not been vaccinated, then you need to act quickly at the first sign of symp- toms, as the anti-viral medication is best used within 72 hours of an outbreak. This is especially important if you hope to avoid the very painful post-herpetic neuralgia. LIVE WELL Vaccination offers the best chance of avoiding painful shingles and the virus’s complications Photo: Getty Images One in three adults over 50 will develop the painful virus shingles. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.