Re: shingals

[Guest guest]

For those of you who may not be aware,

Can I just say to those who have not had shingles....if you know someone who has themselves or a child with chickenpox, keep away from them as they same virus that causes that can cause shingles. My GP told me this years ago when I had CP & had to avoid my grandmother for a couple of weeks because of the risk.

hugs, Lynne

[Guest guest]

-Lynne,

This is a really timely post especially with chicken pox

(varicella) out and about. Shingles can be a devastating illness

where weepy crusting painful sores develop and follow nerves, usually

around the trunk of the body. This can be quite something especially

for those of us who balance life with another illness.

There is one other thing you can do to avoid shingles. When we

were in nursing school they told us that almost 100% of the time an

adult who gets shingles also has a blood dyscrasia. Sometimes this

blood abnormality is leukemia, and there's not much we can do in that

event, other than to treat the leukemia, but other times, the blood

dyscrasia is a simple anemia either due to iron deficiency or even

pernicious anemia. (Which is found in higher incidence in those of

us with autoimmune disorders) We should encourage our doctors to

watch for anemias, especially pernicious anemia, and if anemia is

found, develop a strategy in order to treat it. An untreated anemia

can contribute to shingles.....and this is not something I ever wish

to get.

Best wishes to all,

Jane

-- In Rheumatoid Arthritis , " Lynne " <lynne@v...>

wrote:

> For those of you who may not be aware,

> Can I just say to those who have not had shingles....if you know

someone who has themselves or a child with chickenpox, keep away from

them as they same virus that causes that can cause shingles. My GP

told me this years ago when I had CP & had to avoid my grandmother

for a couple of weeks because of the risk.

>

> hugs, Lynne