Shingles is a viral infection that is characterized by an occurrence of a painful skin rash. This infection is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox.
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The VZV virus stays in the body when a person recovers from chickenpox. Even though this virus usually doesn’t cause any problems, it can reappear several years later, causing shingles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime.
Risk Groups for Developing Shingles
Every person who had chickenpox can be affected by shingles. Nevertheless, the risk of this infection increases with age.
Half of the cases occur in people who are older than sixty. Apart from aging, there are some other factors which can increase the risk of this infection. The people who have the highest risk of getting shingles are:
- People who suffer from certain medical conditions that prevent the immune system from working properly, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and some types of cancerous diseases, like leukemia and lymphoma.
- People who use immunosuppressants, such as drugs taken after organ transplantation and steroids.
Vitamin C for Preventing and Treating Shingles
Shingles most commonly affects people who have a compromised function of the immune system. The vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants for strengthening the immune system, which makes it an extremely effective prevention measure against getting shingles.
This vitamin has a great virus-inactivating effect, so if you suffer from shingles, its intake can help you to resolve the infection fast and safely.
On the other hand, the shingles vaccines do not always provide successful results. According to the clinical trials, these vaccines work only in 51% of the patients.
Also, these vaccines can be responsible for causing various side effects, including headaches, sore throat, skin rashes, breathing problems, muscle and joint pain, as well as swollen glands.
Unlike the shingles vaccines which can often be harmful and ineffective, the intake of vitamin C has been shown to be helpful in reducing the severity and incidence of the shingles in almost all patients, without causing any side effects.
Apart from consuming this vitamin, several other lifestyle changes can help you to improve your immune system, such as following a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in saturated fats, getting enough sleep, controlling the blood pressure levels, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Also, you should avoid consuming tobacco and alcohol.