According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans over the age of 50 are encouraged to get the shingles vaccine (CDC). According to the CDC, the only way to avoid shingles is to get vaccinated.
The Shingles Virus Remains Dormant in You Following Chicken Pox.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster virus, and can cause painful rashes and, in severe cases, permanent nerve damage.
The first symptom of shingles is usually burning or tingling pain, or numbness or itchiness in one specific location on only one side of the body.
When shingles manifests, a rash appears that may blister and is extremely painful, lasting 2 to 4 weeks. The CDC recognizes two shingles vaccines and recommends that everyone over the age of 50 gets vaccinated. This advice applies to everyone, regardless of whether they remember having chicken pox or not.
Will Shingles Cause Long-Term Damage to My Body?
According to the CDC, pain from a shingles rash can appear after the rash has cleared up. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can last for months. Although the rash is gone, the pain from the rash is still felt in the same areas that were previously affected by the shingles rash.
According to Wikipedia, the pain is caused by nerve damage caused by the full-blown shingles virus damaging the body’s nerve endings. PRN can be a life-long condition that comes and goes and is not cured but only managed.
How Can I Prevent Shingles From Occurring?
According to the CDC, “as you get older, your risk of getting shingles and PHN increases.” Although there is no cure for PHN once your nerves have been damaged by the shingles virus, vaccination can reduce your chances of developing shingles in the first place.
It would not be in vain to get vaccinated. According to the CDC, one out of every three people in the United States will get shingles at some point in their lives. You can get shingles if you’ve ever had chicken pox.
Shingles and PHN should be disclosed on a life insurance application, and a licensed agent can advise you on the best ways to obtain coverage.