People over sixty are particularly vulnerable to shingles. Caused by the dormant chickenpox virus, shingles is a painful and potentially complicated condition that is dangerous to seniors with underlying health issues, especially cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, immunosuppressives, HIV, and AIDS.
However, anyone can get shingles, and many elderly people get them just because of a natural decline in T cells.
The Vaccine Works
Shingrix is the name of the vaccine that protects people from shingles. According to Harvard Health, it is ninety percent effective. If, after being vaccinated, a senior does contract shingles, the disease progression will be less severe and less likely to lead to hospitalization.
The side effects of the vaccine are roughly the same as for the flu shot. People who get the vaccine report a sore arm, temporary fever, and muscle aches. The risks of the vaccine, for most people over sixty, greatly outweigh the risks of not getting it.
The Centers for Disease Control recommend that all adults over fifty get the vaccine which comes in two shots. The second shot needs to be taken two to six months after the first. If a patient is uncertain whether or not he had chickenpox (which causes shingles), he should get the vaccine.
Elder care specialists recommend the vaccine for anyone who has had shingles in the past because it can be contracted more than once. Patients who had an earlier shingles vaccine, called Zostavax, are also advised to obtain the Shingrix vaccine. The vaccine should not, however, be taken while a patient is currently infected with shingles.
Risks of Shingles
Shingles causes painful blisters in a rash-like configuration, usually across one side of the chest. While some people recover from shingles without medical intervention, the complications can be severe and long lasting.
People over sixty-five who get shingles are at a higher risk of developing post-herpetic neuralgia. Post-herpetic neuralgia causes a patient pain and sensitivity to touch long after the initial rash outbreak associated with shingles goes away. Even the feel of clothing can be very uncomfortable for someone with this neurological disorder. It can last three months or longer.
In most people, post-herpetic neuralgia will subside over time, but the condition can cause fatigue, depression, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and difficulty paying attention.
The need to keep up with vaccinations is but one of many reasons that your senior might need professional elder care. Elder care professionals visit your senior in his or her home and assess needs. They are quick to notice and report a health problem, they can recommend a course of action. And, of course, they will transport your senior to a doctor’s office or pharmacy for preventive care or treatment.
In conclusion, shingles is a risk for most people over sixty. And the consequences of shingles in the elderly can be much worse than in the young. Vaccinating your senior, or asking your home care provider to do so, will greatly protect your beloved parent against the ill effects of shingles.
Sources
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/shingles-what-triggers-this-painful-burning-rash-2020121421594
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postherpetic-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20376588#:~:text=Postherpetic%20neuralgia%20(post%2Dhur%2D,herpes%20zoster)%20virus%20causes%20shingles.
If you are considering senior care in Houston, TX, for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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