Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
Key points about Shingles
- About 1 in every 3 people in the United States will have shingles (or herpes zoster) in their lifetime.
- Shingles can sometimes lead to serious complications like long-term nerve pain and vision loss.
- The best way to protect yourself from shingles is vaccination.
What is Shingles?
Shingles is a painful rash illness. People get shingles when the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox, reactivates in their bodies after they have already had chickenpox.
An estimated 1 million people get shingles each year in this country. Most people who develop shingles only have it one time during their life. However, you can have shingles more than once.
Signs and symptoms
People with shingles most commonly have a rash around the left or right side of the body. The rash is usually painful, itchy, or tingly.
Shingles can lead to serious complications. The most common shingles complication is long-term nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN.
Who is at risk for Shingles?
You are at risk for shingles if:
More than 99% of Americans born before 1980 had chickenpox, even if they don’t remember it. Children can have shingles, but it is not common.
Your risk of shingles and serious complications increases:
- As you get older.
- If you have medical conditions that keep your immune systems from working properly such as certain cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and HIV infection.
- If you take drugs that keep your immune system from working properly, like steroids and drugs given after an organ transplant.
Causes and spread
If you are near someone with shingles:
You cannot get shingles from someone who has shingles.
You can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles if you never had chickenpox or never got chickenpox vaccine. You could then develop shingles later in life.
Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once a person has chickenpox, the virus stays in their body. The virus can reactivate later in life and cause shingles.
People who never had chickenpox or didn’t get chickenpox vaccine can get infected with VZV from someone who has shingles. These people can get the virus through:
- Direct contact with the fluid from shingles rash blisters.
- Breathing in virus particles that come from the blisters.
People with chickenpox are more likely to spread VZV than people with shingles.
Prevention
Protect yourself with the vaccine. CDC recommends 2 doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) to prevent shingles and related complications in adults 50 years and older. Shingrix is also recommended for adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy.
Contact Classen Urgent Care or Classen Family Medicine for more information on the shingles vaccine.
HPV Vaccine
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
Traveler Vaccinations
Traveling Abroad this Year?
Classen Urgent Care and Classen Family Medicine at both our Norman and Moore, Oklahoma locations offer a wide range of vaccinations, including various vaccines if you are traveling out of the country. For more information, contact us.
Measles cases are increasing globally, including in the United States. The majority of measles cases imported into the United States occur in unvaccinated U.S. residents who become infected during international travel. A list of countries with confirmed measles outbreaks can be found on the Global Measles Travel Health Notice (THN). Measles spreads rapidly in communities that are not fully vaccinated and may pose a risk to international travelers in places not included in the THN.
CDC recommends all travelers get fully vaccinated against measles before traveling to any international destination.
The CDC offers online resources based on your travel destination.
3 Important Reasons for Adults to Get Vaccinated
1. You may be at risk for serious diseases that are still common in the U.S.
Each year thousands of adults in the United States get sick from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines — some people are hospitalized, and some even die.
Even if you got all your vaccines as a child, the protection from some vaccines can wear off over time. You may also be at risk for other diseases due to your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health conditions.
2. You can’t afford to risk getting sick.
Even healthy people can get sick enough to miss work or school. If you’re sick, you may not be able to take care of your family or other responsibilities.
3. You can protect your health and the health of those around you by getting the recommended vaccines.
Vaccines lower your chance of getting sick. Vaccines work with your body’s natural defenses to lower the chances of getting certain diseases as well as suffering complications from these diseases.
Vaccines lower your chance of spreading certain diseases. There are many things you want to pass on to your loved ones; a vaccine preventable disease is not one of them. Infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to vaccine preventable diseases.
Vaccines are one of the safest ways to protect your health. Vaccine side effects are usually mild and go away on their own. Severe side effects are very rare.
We Won! The Norman Transcript Readers’ Choice Award
Classen Urgent Care in Norman won the Norman Transcript Readers Choice Awards for:
- Best Hospital/Health Care Facility
- Best Urgent Care Facility
Classen’s own Jonathan Smith PA-C was nominated for Best Physician’s Assistant.
Each year the Norman Transcript turns to the community for voting on their favorite choices in the Readers’ Choice Awards for best selections, from places to eat and best entertainment to the best health care facilities, urgent care, physicians and more.
The Norman Transcript selects the top 5 nominations as nominated by the community, then a winner is selected for each category.
Classen Urgent Care and Classen Family Medicine in Norman would like to thank everyone who voted for us!
What services does Classen Urgent Care offer?
At our Classen Urgent Care Clinics in Norman and Moore, we know sometimes feeling great can’t wait. That’s why we provide a wide-range of minor emergency and general medical services to get you feeling better sooner!
Check out the full list of our services to learn more about the services we provide.
- General Medical Care
- Injuries
- Occupational & Employment
- DOT/DMV Physicals
- Schools and Sport Physicals
We also provide the following medical services:
- Motor Vehicle Accident Check-Ups
- Vaccinations and Immunizations
- Digital X-rays
- Onsite Laboratory Services
- Electronic Prescription Services
Future of Urgent Care Facilities
How do you know that you are going to be seen, in person, by a Licensed Medical Provider when you walk into an Urgent Care Clinic?
When Classen Medical Complex opened our doors over 13 years ago, this question would not have made sense. We’ve seen significant changes in Medicine over the past 13 years. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these changes.
One change that is creeping its way across the United States is the advent of “Phone Booth” clinics. The way these clinics work is that you will go into your usual clinic or a new one that just popped up and are greeted by an individual who checks you in, collects your urgent care co-pay, gets your vital signs, and even obtains your labs and X-rays. Then you are seated in front of a computer to speak to a Medical Provider. You are then treated in accordance to the best of the knowledge of the Medical Provider and sent away. Some clinics may not divulge this process upon checking in or on their websites.
While there are many, many rural areas of Oklahoma that can benefit greatly from this type of service, one may question why such a service exists in the Metro areas.
Telemedicine is a good tool and should be used when it’s needed. But why should you have to drive to the facility and pay as if you are being seen in person, only to be treated via Telemedicine?
The last thing medicine needs is to become even more impersonal.
Each and every individual who checks in to see a medical provider at our Classen Urgent Care Norman and Classen Urgent Care Moore locations will be examined in person by a medical provider in a timely manner.
Virtual Doctor Near Me
Virtual Doctor in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore Metro Area
Classen Medical offers convenient E-VISIT appointments for our patients.
If you believe your condition does not need any labs or x-rays, then an e-Visit may help you. If your provider decides that your condition requires you to be physically examined, then you may be asked to come in to be seen.
For established patient, who have an active “YourHealthFile” patient portal, please log in to request an e-Visit. One of our staff members will contact you.
E-Visit hours are 6:00 am-9:40 pm. Please text us your name, date of birth, email and the word ‘evisit’.
Text Classen Urgent Care at 405-701-7111 for an E-Visit
For those of you who have never been seen before or haven’t set up your “YourHealthFile” patient portal yet, please call or text to speak with the front desk at Classen Medical, who would be happy to help you.
Classen Urgent Care Moore – Affordable Care for Uninsured Patients
At Classen Urgent Care, we understand that not everyone has health insurance. That’s why we offer affordable care for uninsured patients at our Norman and Moore locations.
For only $96, uninsured patients can receive an office visit, including a physical exam, diagnosis, and treatment plan. We also offer discounted rates on any necessary labs, x-rays, or other services. And, unlike some other urgent care clinics, we do not require a membership or set-up fee.
We believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, regardless of their insurance status. That’s why we are committed to providing affordable care to our community.
Here are some of the benefits of choosing Classen Urgent Care for uninsured patients:
- Affordable prices: We offer office visits for uninsured patients for only $96.
- Discounted services: We offer discounted rates on any necessary labs, x-rays, or other services.
- No membership or set-up fee: Unlike some other urgent care clinics, we do not require a membership or set-up fee to provide these prices.
- Free follow-up visits: One follow-up visit for uncomplicated wound care, including surgical care of abscesses and removal of sutures that we placed, are FREE.
- Commitment to our community: We are committed to providing affordable care to our community.
If you are uninsured or unable to use your insurance due to high deductibles, we encourage you to visit Classen Urgent Care for your healthcare needs. We are here to help you get the care you need at a price you can afford.