Besides heart disease, knee problems, and brain disorders, which are considered common diseases among the elderly, “Shingles” is also one of the diseases that cause considerable difficulty and suffering for older adults. We would like to introduce everyone to this disease more thoroughly, including the reasons why it occurs so frequently in the elderly.
“Shingles”… How does this disease occur?
Dr. Thanarak Sathapornwarasak, an internist at Phyathai 2 Hospital, explains that “Shingles is caused by an infection with the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Generally, elderly people have usually had chickenpox since childhood. However, after recovering from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the body. When a person gets older or their immune system weakens, this virus can cause shingles.” The doctor also mentioned that the risk group for this disease includes everyone who has had chickenpox before, but the risk increases with age.
Why? … The “older” you are, the higher the “risk”
As mentioned, this disease usually occurs when the body is weak and the immune system is low. One related factor is age because we must accept that as we get older, our immunity decreases. “The age at which shingles starts to occur is from 50 years old and increases continuously. By the time a person reaches 80 years old, the incidence rate is 1 in 2.” A body that was once strong becomes weak, making it easier to get infected and increasing the risk of complications such as scarring, bacterial infection at the wound site, or if it occurs near the eyes, it can be severe enough to cause vision loss. Therefore, good prevention methods, besides maintaining good health and getting enough rest, include vaccination against shingles, which is another option for many elderly people to avoid the suffering caused by the burning pain of this disease.
“Shingles vaccine” – Is it really effective?
Currently, the shingles vaccine is used in elderly groups aged over 50 years, and the results are quite good. It has been found that this vaccine can reduce the incidence of shingles and prevent the burning pain along the nerve pathways in patients with shingles. Moreover, the vaccine can be administered starting at age 50 and requires only a single dose, with no need for booster shots like some other vaccines, making it convenient.
Vaccine Center, Internal Medicine Center
Phyathai 2 Hospital
Tel. 02-617-2444 ext. 4104, 4106
