Health Risks Seniors Should Be Aware Of

Shingles is a painful rash caused by the same virus as chickenpox. After battling chickenpox, the virus lays inactive and can resurge years later to cause shingles. Although the rash can occur anywhere on the body, it most commonly appears as a stripe of blisters wrapping around the torso. While shingles isn’t life-threatening, it can be painful enough to impact one’s quality of life. The condition is most common in people over the age of 50, and shingles risk progressively increases as you age. Diseases that weaken the immune system like cancer or HIV can increase the risk of the virus becoming active. There is no cure for shingles, but prompt diagnosis and proper treatment can speed healing and reduce the risk for complications. There is a vaccine that has been shown to lower the risk for shingles by 51 percent. Like the flu vaccine, vulnerable populations such as elderly adults are highly recommended to receive this vaccine.