|  | Conditions Treatments | Medical Conditions

Shingles & Menopause

Both shingles and menopause affect certain populations of society. They are not however, connected. Menopause is a natural part of aging, and only affects women. Shingles affects both sexes equally, and usually occurs after the age of fifty. Chances of contracting the disease increase ten times by the age of sixty. The only thing that menopause and shingles have in common is the discovery of a new drug that is used to treat fibromyalgia.

  1. Shingles

    • Shingles caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. If someone had chicken pox as a child, it can lie dormant, and during a time when the person's immune system may be compromised, the disease can reappear as shingles. It affects the nerve endings, and causes blisters that eventually erupt and cause severe pain. The scarring after the blisters have dried is like a purple rash. It can last for months, causing great discomfort. It shows up on one side of the body, usually the ribs or back but, it can affect the face and the area around the eye.

    Menopause

    • Menopause begins around the age of 40 and can continue for 10 years. A woman is said to have experienced menopause when menstruation ceases for one year. During that time she can experience hot flashes, stress, depression, mood swings, dryness of the eyes and vagina. Stress can cause the immune system to be affected and more vulnerable to diseases.

    Considerations

    • Shingles can be severe for someone that is suffering from cancer or HIV, and it can reoccur because of the weakened immune system. The virus is contagious until scabs appear, so it is best to stay away from children because they can contract chicken pox. Menopause can cause other conditions including weakened bones leading to osteoporosis, heart disease, high cholesterol and urinary infections. There are hormone treatments that need to be examined because they can carry risks of blood clots, stroke and cancer.

    Treatment

    • Antiviral drugs can be used in the early stages of shingles that can lessen the effects of the disease. There is also a vaccine for people over sixty.
      Exercise, meditation, massage and aerobics are a few things that a woman can do to relieve hot flashes, stress and irritability. Physicians like to prescribe hormone treatments to avoid the conditions that can be caused as a result of menopause.

    Dual Treatment

    • A new medication that is used for the treatment of fibromyalgia has proved to be a benefit for menopause ,and shingles sufferers. The generic drug; pregabalin, can reduce the pain associated with shingles that continues well past the healing time of the lesions, (postherpetic neuralgia). In some cases the pain can continue for one year and up to ten in rare cases. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that the drug can also relieve the severity of hot flashes and frequency by 20 percent.

Medical Conditions - Related Articles