Shingles Disease

About Shingles Disease: 

• It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
• It can occur anywhere in the human body.
• It typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.
• It is not contagious, meaning it can’t be spread from one person to another.
• The risk of shingles goes up as you get older and it is most common in people over age 50.
• Symptoms: Pain, burning, tingling sensitivity to touch etc.
• There is a vaccine called Shingrix available which helps in preventing shingles and its complications.

What other problems can shingles cause?

• Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of shingles. It causes severe pain in the areas where you had the shingles rash.
• Vision loss: It can happen if shingles affect the eyes. It may be temporary or permanent.
• Hearing or balance problems are possible if you have shingles within or near your ear. You may also have weakness in the muscles on that side of your face. These problems can be temporary or permanent

 

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Q1) What is a vaccine?

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides immunity against a specific infectious disease. It works by stimulating the body's immune system to recognize and fight off the disease-causing organism (such as a virus or bacteria) before it can cause an infection.

Source: GSK rolls out its Shingles vaccine in India