Shingles, an increasingly common viral illness in the USA, develops painful rashes on your body. One out of every three people experiences it within their lifetime. It affects older people more than any other age group.
Developing shingles is one of the most stressful experiences — the burning and itching of the red rashes and blisters are frustrating. To make matters trickier, studies claim that stress and anxiety can trigger the shingle outbreak.
Does the claim of stress-causing shingles hold any truth to it? In this article, we explore the condition of shingles and their connection with stress.
What is Shingles?
Shingles, also known as Herpes Zoster, is a common viral infection caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox, varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
Think of it as a one-two punch of infections — if you have shingles, you have gone through the episode of chickenpox earlier in life. It occurs when the VZV that lies inactive in the nerve tissue near the spinal cord and brain reactivates in your body.
Chickenpox causes itchy blisters that start on your back, chest, and face and spread to the rest of your body. Shingles is a painful rash that shows up on one side of your body and turns into red, fluid-filled blisters. They usually take 7-10 days to dry out and crust over but can also last for up to six weeks.
The Link Between Shingles and Stress
Does stress cause shingles? There is no direct yes or no answer. Let’s explore what studies have shown and what research suggests.
We mentioned at the beginning of the article that older people are at more risk of developing shingles.
Experts believe that it’s because of the potential relationship between our body’s response to stress — physical, emotional, and mental — weakened immune system.
Our body’s immune system weakens as we grow older. It becomes slower to respond, increasing the risk of getting sick.
Stress, of any kind, only adds up to the burden on the immune system, weakening it even further.
While stress does not directly induce shingles symptoms, it wears out the immune system, affecting its ability to defend the body against all kinds of illnesses.
You must be aware of the fight or flight response. Stress possesses these two response options in front of your body when in a dangerous or taxing situation.
There are an endless number of stressors that can trigger these responses in your body, such as job pressures, family situations, health, or even an incident like a car crossing you at dangerously high speed.
Such triggers activate your autonomic nervous system, which switches on the warning system.
As a result, you feel an influx of adrenalin flow and the heart pumps much faster so that blood rapidly flows to the extremities so that we can fight or run away, increasing our blood pressure.
While the switch should turn off once we’re past the stressful situation, it doesn’t happen. As a result, we experience health problems that impact the immune and cardiovascular systems.
The shingles virus lies dormant in your body. As your stress level increases, your body’s ability to fight the virus will die down, and you may develop shingles.
How to Prevent Shingles?
Through the Use of Vaccines
If you have had chickenpox, you’re at risk of developing shingles more than once in your lifetime. To negate the risk, get the Shingles vaccine included in the adult immunization program in the UK, USA and Australia, and many other European countries.
In the USA, Shingrix (RZV) is available to prevent shingles, which is 90% effective. You get two shots — 2 and 6 months apart. The protection lasts an estimated 4-5 years. It may have side effects for a day or two and cause muscle aches, tiredness, low-grade fever, and headaches.
Through Stress Management
Stress is the root cause of not only shingles but many diseases. Adopting habits and lifestyle choices that help you deal with stress better will keep many health issues at bay.
Here are a few measures to reduce or eliminate stress from your life…
1. Sound Sleep
Your sleep cycle affects your mental and physical health. A sleep of 7-9 hours looks enough. However, it’s not just about how many hours you sleep. It’s about how well you sleep in those hours. Uninterrupted deep sleep is vital for a healthy functioning mind and body.
2. Healthy Diet
The food you eat impacts your mood. A few nutrients are good for your mental health and help you remain calm. Research suggests that foods rich in zinc, magnesium, omega 3, and vitamins B and D3 reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
3. Physical Activity
Exercise is often neglected in mental health care. However, regular physical activities of any form can improve your mental and emotional health. It is a scientifically proven mood booster, helping reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Also, it helps sleep better.
4. Mindfulness
Practicing meditation produces a deep state of relaxation for your mind and soul. It is a way to reduce stress by eliminating the stream of crowded thoughts. It enhances your mental resilience and ability for emotion regulation.
5. Professional Help
Talk to your trusted circle of people about the things that cause you stress. Sharing your thoughts can make you feel lighter. You can also reach out to a mental health professional or a therapist. They will help you develop coping mechanisms to lead a more balanced life.
Practicing these does not guarantee that you will not develop shingles. However, adopting a mentally rich lifestyle and habits ensures a healthier life.
While stress does not directly cause shingles, it is a potential trigger for the reactivation of its virus. A weak immune system will keep you in discomfort for a long time.
Therefore, taking good care of your body is healthy stress coping strategy and can support your immune system.
We hope this article provides value to you. Keep following us to learn more about health conditions.