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Summary
On episode 160 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan breaks down what he learned researching shingles after his mother came down with a painful case, and after realizing he didn’t actually know how different shingles is from ordinary chickenpox.
He explains how shingles is the same virus as chickenpox, lying dormant in the spinal cord and brain for decades before an aging or weakened immune system gives it the opening to resurface as a nerve-based, sometimes debilitating illness. He walks through what raises the risk, what makes an outbreak worse, and what can be done about it, medically and through lifestyle.
Allan is careful to frame this as his own research, not medical advice, and encourages listeners to talk to their own doctor about their specific risk.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Shingles is chickenpox reactivating, not a new infection. After childhood chickenpox, the virus embeds itself dormant in the spinal cord and brain and can resurface decades later once the immune system weakens with age.
- Risk climbs sharply with age. Allan cites research suggesting roughly half of people who reach 80 and had chickenpox as children will develop shingles at some point.
- Shingles is more than a rash. Because it’s rooted in the nervous system, it can cause debilitating nerve pain, and an outbreak near the eyes can threaten vision, which is why it needs prompt medical attention rather than being toughed out.
- Chronic stress suppresses the immune system through cortisol. Cortisol shifts the body into fight-or-flight mode and deprioritizes functions like immune defense, so ongoing high stress raises the odds of an outbreak.
- Diet can fuel or dampen an outbreak. Arginine-rich foods, including chocolate, nuts, coconut, and bone broth, can feed a flare-up, while lysine, best taken on an empty stomach away from food, works against it.
- There are two direct medical tools. The shingles vaccine reduces risk and severity but doesn’t eliminate it and carries its own side effects, and antivirals are available if an outbreak does occur.
- Bone health nutrients are linked to lower shingles risk. Vitamin D3, K2, and calcium together show a correlation with reduced outbreaks, even though the exact mechanism isn’t well understood, alongside general resistance training for bone strength.
- Hormonal shifts can trigger outbreaks in fertile women. Menstrual cycle changes are associated with a higher chance of flare-ups, though doctors don’t fully know why.
“The pain is real. The itching is real. The potential for bad effects to happen is real.”
Coach Allan