If you feel like you’ve been hearing about shingles a lot lately, you’re not wrong. From Reddit threads to news about recent research, one thing is clear: What was once seen as a condition that mainly affected older adults is increasingly impacting young adults. Yet younger people may be more likely to brush off shingles…
3. Shingles is more than a rash. An itchy, blistering rash is what most people picture when they think of shingles. But doctors say this visible eruption, which frequently forms a stripe on one side of the torso and can last three to five weeks after symptoms start, often is just the tip of the…
That could be because antivirals work best when taken within 72 hours of symptom onset, according to Dr. Washer. As a result some providers may be reluctant to prescribe antivirals if it’s been more than three days since you first noticed symptoms, she explains. Still, immunocompromised patients, those developing active lesions in new areas, or…
Many of these patients are juggling multiple demands: an intense career, travel, young kids, and buying a home. “Often they’re sleep-deprived, not getting the right nutrients for their body, [and] not getting enough sun exposure,” Dr. Vo says. Both short-term and chronic stress can weaken your immune system, making it easier for the dormant varicella-zoster…
