By Dr. Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show”; and Dr. Roizen, Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic
A shingles outbreak is usually very painful and, as a recent British study reveals, it could also be downright deadly. It doubles the rick for a stroke, with the odds remaining 50% higher than normal for three months. It also nearly doubles the risk for a heat attack the week after those itchy blisters appear. How could skin blisters have such far-reaching effects?
It turns out that a shingles attack dials up levels of body-wide inflammation. Inside arteries, this can trigger the development of blood clots that limit or cut off the flow of blood to the heart of brain. The pain and stress of shingles can push blood pressure higher. And shingles may even damage blood vessles in the brain in ways that lead to a bulge or a rip.
If you’ve ever had chickenpox, shingles could be in your future. The culprit, the varicella-zoster virus, hids out in nerves at the base of your spine only to emerge decades later is a telltale rash. It usually shows up on the sides of the abdomen, shoulders, or side of the head. Up to 1 in 3 adults–half are over age 60–will have an outbreak. Until recently, the biggest worry has been the excruciating nerve pain that develops afterward for about 40% of those who get shingles. This extreme pain can linger for weeks, months, or even years.
Here are 4 steps that can boost your protection:
- Know when to get the shingles vaccine. Covered by most health insurance for people 60 and over, this vaccine reduces the risk for developing the blistery shingles rash by 48%; if you do have an outbreak, it cuts odds for post-rash nerve pain called post-herpatic neuralgia by 59%. Protection against shingles jumps to 70% if you’re vaccinated between 50 and 59–something to discuss with your doctor if you’ve already had an early shingles outbreak. And know that the vaccine’s effectiveness drops after about 5 years. Then talk to your doctor about what’s best for you. In the future, a booster shot may be right for you to rev up immune protection.
- Never had chicken-pox? Get that vaccine. If you’ve never had this classic childhood disease, and never been vaccinated against it, tell your doc. At any age, the chicken-pox vaccine protects against infection with the varicella-zoster virus.
- Eat for tiptop immunity. Shingles is more likely to flare up when your immune system’s not at its strongest. In one study from the AUK’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (the same folks who found the link with stroke and heart attacks), people who munched five servings of vegetables a day were 70% less likely to have an outbreak than those who ate just one or two. And three servings of fruit a day cut the risk by 50%.
- Don’t just pop a multi-vitamin (although it does decrease your cancer risk substantially); also go for fresh produce. In the study, no single nutrient seemed to ward off a shingles out-break. The researchers think it’s the wide range of vitamins, minerals, and immune-nourishing phytonutrients that ward off an attack, especially in people over age 60. A healthy diet is important for plenty of reasons, of course. And it can’t replace the protection you’ll get from the shingles vaccine.
Learn to relax deeply. Tai chi is a gentle exercise that involves a series of flowing movements that strengthen the body while relaxing the mind and nervous system. In one University of California Los Angeles study of 112 adults, ages 59 – 82, this form of exercise boosted immunity against shingles dramatically. It’s not a replacement for the vaccine, but could be a great add-on. Older adults who’d received the shingles vaccine and did tai chi for four months had 40% higher levels of shingles antibodies compared with those who only got the vaccine!