Recent Blog Articles
Taking up adaptive sports
Cutting and self-harm: Why it happens and what to do
Discrimination at work is linked to high blood pressure
Pouring from an empty cup? Three ways to refill emotionally
Give praise to the elbow: A bending, twisting marvel
Sneezy and dopey? Seasonal allergies and your brain
The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation
Apps to accelerometers: Can technology improve mental health in older adults?
Swimming and skin: What to know if a child has eczema
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Healthy Aging
3 things you can do about shingles
Shingles can be devastating. But you can prevent it, treat it, and minimize its long-term effects.
Pretty much 100% of older Americans have had chickenpox. They might have had mild cases they didn't recognize. That puts us all at risk for shingles, a serious adult condition caused by the same virus, known as varicella-zoster. Prior to the availability of a vaccine, about a third of people over 60 got shingles, and half of people 85 or older had already had an attack.
How shingles develops
Chickenpox may last about 10 days, but the culprit virus can remain inside us forever. It retreats into a sensory ganglion—a cluster of cells that transmit sensations from a region of the body to the spinal cord and brain. If the virus reactivates, it spreads along the associated sensory nerves on one side of the body to cause a painful rash of blisters we know as shingles.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
