Shingles

If your children were born before 1995, you probably nursed them through the chicken pox and breathed a sigh of relief that you would never have to deal with that again. Guess again!

If you are caring for an older loved one, you should be aware that about half of the nearly 1 million people in the United States who get shingles each year are 60 years and older. If your loved one had chicken pox but hasn't had shingles yet, you may want to inquire about receiving a vaccine to prevent shingles from occurring. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for people age 60 and older.

Shingles is a disease that affects nerves and causes a painful, blistering rash. One in five people with shingles will have severe, long-term pain after the rash heals. It is definitely something to take seriously. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has chickenpox, the virus continues to live in some of the body's nerve cells. For some adults, the virus becomes active and produces shingles.

Anytime your loved one develops a rash on their skin, it is important to have it examined by a physician. The shingles rash usually shows up as a band on one side of the body or face. Typically a person will first feel a burning or tingling sensation or numbness of the skin. A few days later, a red rash appears on the body, face or neck. The skin will become sensitive to touch and the person will feel mild itching to strong pain.

The rash will eventually turn into fluid-filled blisters before drying up. The illness can last from 3 to 5 weeks. Shingles itself is not contagious, so it is safe for family members to be around to help their loved one through this unpleasant time. Keep an eye on the blisters.

It is possible for blisters to become infected. If that happens, your loved one's doctor can prescribe an antibiotic. Blisters on the face can cause complications – eye damage or blindness is there is a blister near the eye, hearing loss, paralysis of the face, and even brain swelling.

Distract your loved one to help keep their mind of the pain. Watch movies, engage in conversation, play board games or card games, or work on a hobby together. Help your loved one relax and be sure he/she is getting enough rest. If your loved one is feeling up to it, go for a walk.

Unfortunately, 20 % of the people who experience the disease are left with long lasting pain called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) after the illness has passed. The older a person is when they get shingles, the greater the chance that PHN will develop. Along with the pain, a person may experience depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and weight loss.

Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html)