Over the Age of 60? Vaccine for Shingles Urged

People 60 and older should get a one-time shingles shot that can help prevent the painful rash, U.S. health officials are recommending. There’s a 50-50 chance the shot will prevent shingles for those 60 and up, though the odds get worse the older you get. But some shingles cases can be severe, and the government believes the shot is worth the $160 cost. Caused by the same virus as chickenpox, shingles is a blistering rash most common in older people. It usually ends after four weeks, but 1 in 5 victims develop long-term nerve pain. Other complications include scarring and loss of vision or hearing. Chickenpox infects about 95 percent of Americans, although some suffer mild illness and may not know they’ve had it. As many as 1 in 3 infected people develop shingles later in life.

Please click on the link below to read the Chicago Tribune article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-shingles-shots-natmay16,0,3269246.story

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.

Migraines Linked to Higher Stroke and Heart Attack Risk

About 28 million people suffer from migraines, including 18 percent of women and about 6.5 percent of men. Although the pain often knocked victims out for hours or even days, migraines used to be seen as merely a quality of life issue – they were painful, they caused problems, but it was just a headache. But new studies have shown increasing links between people who have migraines and a higher risk of stroke and heart attack. In some cases, the risk is double compared to those who don’t have migraines. Doctors aren’t sure why there’s a link, but say the new research is a heads up to both patients and physicians that migraines should be seen as more than just recurrent pain, but as a potential warning of something more serious. “I tell my patients that there is an urgency in controlling their headaches and I don’t want them having more than a couple of attacks a month,” said Dr. Zahid Bajwa, director of education and clinical pain research at Harvard Medical School. “Anybody who has four to six attacks a month, and they last more than a couple hours – I worry about those patients.”

Please click on the link below to read the Boston Globe article:

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/05/12/its_not_all_in_your_head/

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.