ALEXANDRIA — As adults age, the greater their chances of getting shingles.

That is why health care experts recommend all adults 50 and older get vaccinated.

"Oftentimes when somebody first starts developing shingles, they might have pain, tingling or a burning sensation that they'll experience in one part of their body, and that's really related to their nerves," said Kelsey Peterson, supervisor of disease prevention and control, and emergency preparedness at Horizon Public Health.

Peterson continued, "After those initial symptoms, they'll start developing a red rash that eventually turns into blisters. Your nerves are basically getting inflamed and swollen, which results in the rash and the blisters coming to the surface."

A person with shingles might feel tiredness and fatigue, as well, Peterson said.

Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chicken pox and which stays dormant in the body even after a person has had chicken pox.

"It's basically asleep in your body, and it'll stay like that for many, many years until it gets reactivated," Peterson said.

Anybody who has had chicken pox can get shingles, but it is most common in people 50 and older or who have weakened immune systems or preexisting health conditions like diabetes, Peterson said.

Anecdotally, representatives at Horizon have heard that cases of shingles have become more prevalent, Peterson said.

However, there are more treatment options available now than ever before.

"There are antivirals out there that can help decrease the severity of pain people are experiencing, and that's probably one of the biggest things," Peterson said. "Rash and blisters start subsiding within a couple weeks, but it's that pain that lasts an extended amount of time, a month or even longer.

"Some people are experiencing what is called post-herpetic neuralgia, which is that nerve pain that lasts months and years into the future," she said. "It's really what's available for pain and anti-inflammatory that can help manage those symptoms better, that weren't available many years ago."

The best way to keep from getting shingles if you're 50 or over is to get vaccinated, Peterson said.

"It's known as Shingrix and it is over 90% effective at preventing shingles," she said.

Most insurance companies have a copay of less than $4 for the shingles vaccine for people who are 50 to 64 years old, Peterson said.

Additionally, for people 65 and older, Medicare Part D covers the shingles vaccine, she said.

If you are in a younger age range, you should stay up–to-date on your immunizations, including chicken pox, so that you can reduce your risk, Peterson said.

"Aside from vaccination, if you do encounter and are exposed and eventually do get shingles again after you've had chicken pox as a child, you can get anti-virals," Peterson said. "There's a prevention piece of the vaccine, but then the next piece would be the treatment.

"If you can get (antivirals) into your system within the first 72 hours, you are significantly reducing your risk for symptoms," she said.

While Peterson said this won't completely eliminate the symptoms, it can help reduce the pain, severity and duration of them.