As if itching and blisters weren't bad enough, shingles is often accompanied by shooting, long-lasting pain. This health tip reveals why it is important to react quickly at the first sign of symptoms, and how well a new vaccine can protect you.
What is shingles?
Shingles is triggered by a virus that almost all people in Switzerland have carried in their bodies since childhood. According to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), 98% of the adult population have antibodies against the varicella-zoster virus – popularly known as chickenpox.
After a person has been ill with chickenpox, the virus remains in their body for a lifetime, dormant in the so-called ganglia (nerve nodes). The FOPH reports that around 20% of people who carry the varicella-zoster virus contract shingles later in life.
Triggered by stress
The virus can be reactivated in stressful situations, in old age and if the immune system is weakened. When reactivated, the virus reaches the skin via the nerve pathways, initially triggering itching and pain.
This is followed by skin irritation and rashes with blisters, often on the back, in the abdominal region or on the face.
Act promptly
"If the disease is diagnosed in the first 72 hours, it can be treated easily," says Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at the santé24 online practice. The first signs of shingles are itching and shooting pain, even before the first skin irritations are visible. Early involvement of a specialist can reduce the further spread and duration of symptoms.
Although the blisters and itching are very unpleasant, they're not the worst part of the disease. Patients often suffer from pain that feels like tiny knife cuts. Sometimes this nerve pain can last for months or years.
Contagious or not?
The disease itself is not contagious, but the varicella-zoster viruses contained in the shingles blisters are. Children and adults who have never had chickenpox can contract chickenpox by coming into contact with these blisters, for example by touching the infected person or via contaminated objects such as door handles.
Itching and blistering are just the beginning of shingles.
Protection through vaccination
Since February 2022 there has been a new vaccination against shingles in Switzerland that is covered by basic insurance (less any deductible or excess). According to Infovac, the new vaccine provides 91% protection against shingles. The FOPH recommends vaccination for healthy people aged 65 and over, for patients with immunodeficiency aged 50 and over, and for those with severe immunodeficiency from 18 years of age.
Since shingles can occur more than once, vaccination is also recommended for people who have recovered from it. The virus retreats back into the nerve nodes after the acute phase and can break out again if the immune system is weakened.
