[Emergency Science Popularization] This disease surges in the spring, people with weakened immune systems should be careful!

Shingles can be called the "most painful skin disease". According to relevant data, about one-third of people will be attacked by shingles at least once in their lifetime. Statistics show that in China, the number of new cases of shingles in people over 50 years old is about 1.56 million each year .

After the Spring Festival every year, the number of patients with shingles will show a significant increase . Doctors pointed out that this is mainly because the flu is more prevalent during the Spring Festival, people are overworked, and their lifestyles are extremely irregular, which reduces the body's immunity and activates the virus that was originally dormant in the body, eventually causing infection.

The main causes of herpes zoster:

Decreased immunity

Shingles is an infectious skin disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Studies have found that more than 90% of adults have this virus in their bodies . Once infected with the virus during childhood, most people will suffer from chickenpox as the first onset. Under the attack of the immune system, the virus cannot be completely eliminated, but quietly hides in the dorsal root ganglia.

When the body's immunity declines, these latent viruses will take the opportunity to become active, causing lesions along the nerves, leading to nerve inflammation and necrosis, and then pain symptoms . Experts point out that people over 50 years old are the most susceptible to herpes zoster, but the incidence is currently showing a trend of younger people , and cases of herpes zoster are gradually appearing among young people.

In addition, patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a 24% to 41% higher risk of developing shingles than the general population . Patients with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, have a 2.3 to 4 times higher risk of developing shingles than the general population .

Myths about herpes zoster

Do shingles sores only appear on the waist?

Many people think that herpes zoster only grows on the waist, but this is not the case. The herpes zoster virus can replicate and reproduce in ganglia throughout the body. The head, neck, chest, waist, limbs, etc. may all be affected, and the waist is just the most common site of onset. In addition to the common skin-type herpes zoster, there are many special types, such as herpes zoster around the eyes and ears, and disseminated herpes zoster. Herpes zoster around the eyes can affect the cornea and eyeballs, affecting vision in mild cases and even causing blindness in severe cases. Herpes zoster in the ears can cause severe ear pain and facial paralysis, and in severe cases can cause hearing loss.

Will shingles never come back?

Many people believe that shingles is a lifelong immune disease that will never recur after one infection. In fact, this is true for most people, but about 5% of the population may get the disease multiple times in their lifetime. There are two main reasons why these people are susceptible to shingles: one is that they suffer from autoimmune diseases and have low immune function; the other is that some people have irregular daily lives and often stay up late, which leads to a decline in their own immune function and is prone to reinfection with shingles.

Is shingles not contagious?

Experts say that current research shows that herpes zoster is somewhat contagious in the early and acute stages of the disease, so special attention should be paid to elderly people and children at home. Generally, by the stage of post-herpetic neuralgia, its contagiousness decreases and can even be considered non-contagious.

Improve immunity and get vaccinated

"Early prevention and active improvement of one's own immunity can effectively reduce the incidence of shingles." Yue Jianning, chief physician of the Pain Department of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, said that vaccination is also a key measure to prevent shingles. It can not only effectively reduce the incidence of shingles, but also reduce the severity of the disease.

According to relevant statistics, the incidence of herpes zoster can be reduced by more than 90% after people aged 50 and above are vaccinated with the herpes zoster vaccine . At present, China has two options: recombinant herpes zoster vaccine and herpes zoster live attenuated vaccine. The recombinant herpes zoster vaccine is suitable for people over 50 years old and requires two doses to complete the immunization process, with an interval of two months between the first and second doses; the herpes zoster live attenuated vaccine is suitable for people over 40 years old and only requires one dose. People who meet the age requirements can go to the nearest vaccination clinic for consultation and vaccination. When getting vaccinated, be sure to consult a professional doctor and make a scientific choice under the professional guidance of the doctor. Generally speaking, the protection period of the herpes zoster vaccine is 5 to 20 years, but this period will vary depending on individual differences.

Yue Jianning specifically reminded that patients with immune deficiency or immunosuppressive diseases must consult a doctor in detail before receiving the shingles vaccine , and comprehensively assess their physical condition and vaccination risks to ensure safe and effective vaccination. Patients who are currently suffering from shingles are not recommended to be vaccinated at this time, and should wait until the herpes is completely healed before being vaccinated; if the patient suffers from an acute febrile illness, such as a high fever, vaccination should be postponed to prevent worsening of the condition or adverse effects on the vaccine effect.

"Once you notice symptoms related to shingles, you should seek medical attention immediately and use antiviral drugs and nerve nutrition drugs as early as possible to reduce the severity of shingles and the occurrence of complications. Never delay the best time for treatment because of 'bearing the pain'." Yue Jianning said.