This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Kelly Graves about the prevention and treatment of shingles. Dr. Graves is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a geriatrician at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The shingles vaccination is highly effective at preventing a painful, rash illness called shingles. And new research suggests that this vaccine may also play a role in reducing risk of dementia. Doctor Kelly Graves is here to talk about the details. Doctor Graves is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and she's a geriatrician at MUSC. Doctor Graves, tell us about shingles.
Dr. Graves: Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. And it's estimated 1 in 3 people will get shingles during their lifetime. Shingles occurs when the immune system is weakened, either from another illness or with age. Symptoms typically begin with tingling or pain of the skin, then 2 to 3 days later, develop a blister like sores on one side of the body. That can be very painful. Most cases last 2 to 4 weeks. However, some people can have prolonged nerve pain for months to even years after.
Conner: And if someone does develop shingles, can they get shingles again?
Dr. Graves: Yes, it is possible to get shingles more than once.
Conner: Doctor Graves, for someone who does develop shingles, tell us about treating that illness.
Dr. Graves: There are medications that can reduce the severity of symptoms. They are best if given right away or as soon as diagnosed. So, it's important as soon as you suspect that you may have shingles to see your primary care doctor.
Conner: And what sorts of symptoms might indicate shingles.
Dr. Graves: The first would be pain. And then developing very painful blister like sores on one side of the body.
Conner: Tell us about the shingles vaccine.
Dr. Graves: Shingrix, which is the shingles vaccine is over 90% effective. The safety of the vaccine has been extensively evaluated and is generally well tolerated. The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site.
Conner: And what are the recommendations for who should get this vaccination and when?
Dr. Graves: Adults 50 and older should get vaccinated. The vaccine is two doses, with the second dose given 2 to 6 months after the first. If you received the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, the effectiveness declines significantly over time, typically within 3 to 7 years. Therefore, you should still receive the newest and more effective version Shingrix.
Conner: And so, just to clarify, people may have gotten an older version of the shingles vaccine years ago, but you're saying that wasn't as effective. So even those folks need to get the latest version of the shingles vaccine.
Dr. Graves: Yes, that's correct.
Conner: I understand that there's new research to suggest a possible link between getting the shingles vaccination and a lower risk of dementia. Tell us about that.
Dr. Graves: Yes. So, both of the shingles vaccines have been associated with a lower risk of dementia in recent studies. There's been several very large studies that looked at the older vaccine and smaller ones looking at the newer vaccine that over many years showed that there's a decreased incidence of dementia diagnosis in people that had received the shingles vaccine. The thought is that by preventing herpes zoster reactivation, they may be providing protective benefits and preventing cognitive decline. Further research is still needed to confirm.
Conner: Doctor Graves, thanks for this information about shingles and shingles vaccination.
Dr. Graves: Thank you so much.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
