Is there no way to prevent shingles?

Not really

Many people believe that shingles is an unavoidable disease, but in fact, modern medicine has provided effective prevention measures for it, especially through vaccination to reduce the risk of disease.

It should be known that shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which remains dormant in the human body for a long time after chickenpox infection and may recur when immunity is reduced, causing shingles.

The key to preventing shingles is vaccination, especially for people aged 50 and over. International consensus shows that vaccination can significantly reduce the incidence of shingles and reduce long-term complications caused by the disease, such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). In addition, studies have shown that vaccination can not only reduce the occurrence of shingles, but also reduce its severity.

Therefore, in order to reduce the incidence of shingles, especially in people over 40 or 50 years old, shingles vaccination is recommended.

In addition to vaccination, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising moderately and avoiding overwork, can help improve immunity and thus indirectly reduce the risk of shingles.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital