04 Feb If You Have Asthma, You May Have a Higher Risk of Shingles
Shingles is a condition marked by a very painful localized rash that may take several weeks to resolve. It occurs mainly in older individuals who had chicken pox in their youth. According to a study published online December 28 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, asthma is an unrecognized risk factor for herpes zoster (shingles) in adults. They advise that adults over 50 who have asthma should be vaccinated against shingles.
Researchers studied the medical records of over 1,100 adults; 371 diagnosed with shingles and 742 in a control group. Of those with shingles, 23% had asthma. Of those without shingles, 15% had asthma. This upheld the findings of an earlier study in which asthma was found to be an independent risk factor for zoster in asthmatic children. Wrote the study’s authors, “The effect of asthma on risk of infection might go beyond the airways.”
Impairment in immune function in the skin and airways has been well-documented in patients with asthma, and while not definitively proven, it’s thought that asthma may increase the risk for varicella zoster virus reactivation because it suppresses adaptive immunity.
There is further study to be done, however, as there is not a clear biological basis for why asthma would affect shingles risks. It’s possible that corticosteroid use might be a factor; further testing is needed to rule this out.
Meanwhile, nearly one third of adults will have been affected by shingles by the time they reach 80 years of age; one million people suffer from this very painful disease in the United States every year. Ask your doctor if you should be vaccinated against shingles.
Dustin
Posted at 16:40h, 04 FebruaryThe information is very interesting and helpful for clinical observation.
PERFadminAVB
Posted at 13:01h, 05 FebruaryWe’re very glad that you’ve found our article useful. Thank you for writing in.
valeria
Posted at 20:23h, 04 Februarywhy are the immunizations so expensive for those under 65. i am a 56 year old woman with pulmonary fibrosis with a compromised immune system. i have had the chicken pox in the past. i have been desaparately trying to acquire an immunization through my insurance but they won’t cover it because i am under 65. for me to pay for it will cost me in excess of $200.00. have you any other suggestions that might assist me. thank you.
PERFadminAVB
Posted at 09:56h, 10 FebruaryThank you for writing in, Valeria. Dr. Brian Tiep, Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, City of Hope National Medical Center, offers this:
Here is a website that may be helpful or enlightening – http://health.costhelper.com/shingles-vaccine.html. Generally but not always, Costco has best prices.
Hope this helps,
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Radiance Strathdee
Posted at 07:09h, 24 DecemberWhy isn’t the vaccine free?
PERF
Posted at 20:47h, 24 MarchDear Radience,
Please forgive this delay in responding to your post. It was found buried in over 400 spam posts!
The Shingles vaccination is offered free with most insurance plans or medicare plans. Check with your physician about this. Also check in you grocery store, such as Von’s which may it. You can also look up this website: http://health.costhelper.com/shingles-vaccine.html.
The shingles vaccination can be somewhat difficult to get because it requires storage in a special freezer. Walgreens’ Take Care Clinic offer the shingles vaccine, as do some other pharmacies. Also, many travel clinics offer it. It is a good idea to call ahead to make sure the vaccine is in stock. The shingles vaccine is not recommended by the CDC for anyone younger than 60 because it has not yet been thoroughly studied in those age groups. The risk of shingles begins to rise after age 50, but about half of cases occur in people 60 and older, and symptoms usually are more severe in that age group.
People who already had shingles still can get the vaccine. I was in that category, many years ago, and very eager not to get shingles again! Because of COVID there apparently have been changes in availability in different areas so you will need to do some checking.
Best wishes,
Mary Burns, RN BS