Why You Need the Shingles, Flu and Pneumonia Vaccines

The diseases can be a serious threat to older adults' health
By Leah Ingram for Next Avenue

Credit: Adobe Stock

Did you know that as you age, your immunity to the diseases you’ve been vaccinated against as a child starts to wane?

 

So says Dr. Dana Hawkinson, infectious disease specialist at The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas. That’s why it’s just as important to be vaccinated as an adult as it was as a child. Plus, some of the illnesses you could contract in the second half of life aren’t just an inconvenience — they could make you very sick or even kill you.

 

So here’s what you need to know about the most common vaccines for older adults — influenza (flu), pneumococcal pneumonia and shingles — plus boosters you need for tetanus and pertussis. Use this chart from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for more information on when to get which vaccines.

 

Influenza

 

If you don’t know by now, influenza or the flu is nothing to sneeze at. It can be a killer, especially for those 65 and older. Flu season typically lasts from fall through spring.

 

“Influenza is a dangerous disease that can lead to pneumonia and fatal outcomes,” warns Hawkinson. Because the flu virus changes every year, you need to get a flu shot annually. It is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older.

 

The shot becomes available in late August, and Hawkinson recommends getting immunized in September or October so your body has enough time to build up immunity after the shot. That can take a few weeks.

 

However, if you miss this window, don’t forego the shot altogether.

 

“[People should] still continue to get it until the end of flu season,” Hawkinson adds, “because it can have so many important effects.” While you can still contract the flu after getting the vaccine, the severity of the illness may be lessened. “Also, patients who have gotten the vaccine have fewer days being ill, and they have even fewer days missing work,” Hawkinson says.

 

Having an egg allergy does not mean you can’t get the shot: there is an egg-free, FDA-approved influenza vaccine.

 

Pneumococcal Pneumonia

 

This vaccine is known under the brand names Pneumovax and Prevnar, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and each prevents different strains of strep pneumonia.

 

The Prevnar version of the vaccine is given starting in childhood and then again as an adult 65 or older. The Pneumovax version is usually for adults only. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a bacterial infection that can have dire consequences, especially for those with certain health conditions, such as chronic heart or lung disease, or diabetes.

 

Shingles

 

The virus that causes chicken pox also causes shingles, a blistering rash that can produce a burning, electric shock or stabbing pain where it erupts. Also called herpes zoster, it can lie dormant for years in your system.

 

Some people who got the chicken pox as a kid will never develop shingles. Others might get it as an adult multiple times. No one knows why someone has a shingles outbreak, though some believe a stressful event can bring it on.

 

The shingles vaccine is recommended for individuals over 60. Unfortunately, says the CDC, the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective. But considering that the effects and complications of shingles increase in severity as you age, it makes more sense to get the vaccine than not, Hawkinson says.

 

One of those complications is post-herpetic neuralgia: a burning pain that lasts months or years after the rash has healed. The risk of neuralgia is decreased if you begin taking antiviral drugs within 72 hours of developing the shingles rash, according to the Mayo Clinic.

 

A 2005 New England Journal of Medicine article underscores the severity of the disease: “The pain and discomfort associated with herpes zoster can be prolonged and disabling, diminishing the patient’s quality of life and ability to function to a degree comparable to that in diseases such as congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction [heart attack], diabetes mellitus type 2, and major depression.”

 

Tetanus and Pertussis Booster

 

You should be getting what’s called a Tdap booster every 10 years. That’s because Tdap includes protection against tetanus — the T in the shot — and pertussis or whooping cough — the P in the shot.

 

“As we age, we become more susceptible to pertussis, and we can spread it to the younger generation that hasn’t yet been immunized against whooping cough,” says Hawkinson.

 

Another thing to consider: While it is recommended you get this booster every 10 years, with regards to tetanus, if you are injured (by an animal bite or a cut from metal) more than five years after your last booster, you should get another one just to be safe.

© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

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You May Feel Lonely, but You're Not Alone

Credit: Adobe Stock

Although making friends later in life is difficult, perseverance is worth it

 By Barbara Rady Kazdan for Next Avenue

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; can give and receive without judgment and derive sustenance and strength from the relationship,” Brené Brown, the author and speaker of one of the most famous TED Talks once said.

I was reminded of this quote when today’s mail brought a survey from my congregation for “households with only one adult member.” They’d found that 25 percent of members fit that description. How, the letter asked, could these households be better served?

I wondered, who are those single members? Never married, not yet, not interested; divorced; widowed like me…. The survey never asked the jackpot questions: Are you lonely? How can we help?

The Three Plagues

Gerontologist Dr. Bill Thomas calls loneliness, boredom and helplessness the “three plagues.” I’ve suffered from all three: loneliness can breed boredom; when I can’t fill that void, I feel helpless. In this big wide wonderful world, isn’t boredom some kind of personal sin? Sure feels like it.

Someone in my circle of friends usually asks, “How about a movie this weekend?” Or, “Brunch on Sunday?” Weekdays offer up social and substantive fare — planned and impromptu. But sometimes Friday rolls around with nothing but white space on my weekend calendar. My inbox chides, “You have no events scheduled.”

“Get busy,” I tell myself, “find something to do.” But I can’t always muster enough oomph and ingenuity to carpe the diem.

Can you keep a secret? I binge-watch TV. Sometimes I get groceries or coffee just to interact with other human beings. A paltry substitute for chatting, laughing and engaging with friends or family, but it sure beats staying home with my dog all weekend.

When I was married, mothering and immersed in my career, a drive in the country offered soul-reviving solitude. Now that I live alone, not so much.

How I Fit into America’s ‘Loneliness Epidemic’

During those two-day stints in solitary confinement, when my children call from their dots on the map, they ask, “How’re you doing?” I never answer, “isolated, longing for company.”

I’m lonely, but I’m not alone. Meetup CEO Scott Heiferman says America faces a “loneliness epidemic.” Research confirms that social isolation is increasing: fewer people live near family; many delay getting married and having children and more people of all ages are living alone.

The same year I retired from the job that lured my husband and me from Houston to Washington, D.C., my marital status changed to “W.” (Widowed.) Whoa. I’d been so immersed in my work, I barely knew my neighbors. No circle of friends, no family nearby.

A Lonely Person’s Desire

I spent the next years walking into rooms of name-tagged strangers — joining, volunteering, looking for social connections. At one group’s January meeting, when we shared New Year’s resolutions I said, “To find a new best friend.”

I’d left my BFF behind — tearfully — in Houston. That friendship, steeped in shared confidences from our children’s playdates through their wedding days, seemed irreplaceable. She’s still there, but I needed someone nearby who cared about me and to care about, someone for companionship and support.

Turns out that my desire was not just wishful thinking, but essential to my health.

The trend that concerned my congregation concerns medical professionals, too. Dying of loneliness isn’t just an expression: Health psychologist Bert Uchino found that people with little social support have a mortality rate as high as alcoholics; conversely, the impact of making friends is comparable to giving up smoking.

A primitive, primal need for connection is hardwired into our brains. No wonder I felt an urgency about filling that void.

What Relationships Do For You

Harvard’s 75-year adult happiness study concluded: “Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.” Having someone to rely on helps your nervous system relax, keeps your brain healthier longer and diminishes both emotional and physical pain.

Bottom line? “It’s the quality of your close relationships that matters.” I didn’t need a research study to reach that conclusion.

My congregation reflects a societal trend. Psychologist Susan Pinker’s research revealed that people “with frequent face-to-face interactions were not only physically and emotionally healthier, but also lived longer….” Sadly, Pinker notes, “a quarter of the population says they have no one to talk to.”

The No.1 topic choice of Meetups’ 15 million U.S. members? Socializing. The location of the largest group? Transient Washington D.C., a challenging place to find friends, even for someone with a winning personality like mine.

Finding a Kindred Spirit

Aristotle said, “Friendship is a slow-ripening fruit.” Although I urgently needed a close friend, it took time to find a kindred spirit, then deepen the connection. Time to share our stories, to color and fill in the background so when we ask, “What’s new?” the answer fits into a full, nuanced narrative. It requires honesty, the willingness to give and receive confidences in the quest for understanding.

It was worth the wait.

A confidante is defined as someone “with whom private matters and problems are discussed.” When I called a friend recently — someone nearby I’ve become close to — I explained why I’d been quiet lately: “I’ve been worrying about Stacy’s health. I was waiting for news before I called.” 
She listened. We talked. As we hung up, she gently chided, “You didn’t have to wait. You could’ve picked up the phone to tell me, ‘I’m in a funk.'”

Our friendship, she was telling me, could handle the raw, unprocessed stuff of life.

Mission accomplished.


© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.



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Fiftysomething Diet: 6 Steps to a Healthier Fall Soup

Credit: Thinkstock

Our foolproof formula lets you cook and serve it in 30 minutes


By Maureen Callahan for Next Avenue

With nights turning cooler, it’s the perfect time for soup suppers, those big pots of warming goodness that fill you up with little fuss.

Forget store-bought varieties that tend to taste like a salt lick and can raise your blood pressure. We’re talking about simple homemade soups that are easy on cleanup (one pot) and offer a world of big, bold flavors.

Worried about spending too much time in the kitchen? Here’s our Fiftysomething formula that lets you simmer common pantry ingredients into satisfying soup in about 30 minutes. (Note: If you’re nervous about “winging it” with this loose six-step process, don’t worry. We’ve also provided links to step-by-step recipes from healthy cooking gurus Eating Well and Cooking Light.)

The Formula

1. Start with aromatics Building flavor into any soup starts first by sauteeing aromatic vegetables in small amounts of healthy oils such as olive or canola. One chopped onion and a few tablespoons of oil in a soup pot is a perfect soup starter. If time permits, add other aromatics such as chopped carrots, celery and garlic. Saute just one, or all the aromatics, over medium heat for four to five minutes.

2. Toast a few spices Next, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of a favorite spice blend into the cooked aromatics and let the spices toast, over medium heat, for one to two minutes. Try a Mexican spice blend (chili powder, cumin and dried oregano) for chili-style soups. Or use curry powder or a curry spice blend (curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon) if you’re partial to Indian dishes like this Fall Vegetable Curry soup. The idea is to let spices toast into the oil to flavor the whole soup.

3. Add a low-salt broth Once the aromatics and spices are done, add a quart (4 cups) of stock to the soup pot and bring it to a boil. Homemade chicken and vegetable stocks are tastier, but the convenience factor of store-bought stock is a plus for quick soups. Just be sure to scan nutrient fact panels of packaged broths to find varieties with at least one-third less sodium.

4. Stir in lots of vegetables When the stock comes to a boil, stir in four cups (about one pound) of chopped assorted in-season vegetables. Choose from root vegetables like carrots and turnips. Or mix and match mild flavored fall favorites like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, spinach and tomatoes. Steer clear of anything with too strong a taste (broccoli, Brussels sprouts) that might overpower other flavors. Sometimes you might want to focus on one favorite vegetable, like sweet potatoes, for a healthy version of Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque.

5. Add small amounts of lean, quick-cook meats Stir in meats, if you are using them, at the same time as vegetables so they have plenty of time to cook through. Best choices are small quantities (one half to one pound of meat per pot of soup) of chopped healthier cuts like turkey tenderloins, low-fat sausages, or boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chopped pork tenderloin is a good bet too as you’ll see with this healthy Pork, White Bean & Kale Soup. Or try this Turkey & Squash Soup. Once you’ve added the vegetables and meats of your choice, simmer soup for 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and go to step six.

6. Stir in some complex carbs Boost the filling fiber of the soup you’re creating with a last minute addition of a cup of whole grains or legumes. To save time, opt for already cooked brown rice, wheat berries, canned beans or chickpeas, as in this Chickpea and Sausage Minestrone. As an alternative, go meatless on occasion and let complex carbs be the stars of your soup as with this Tomato and Lentil Soup or a classic Split Pea Soup with Rosemary.


© Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.



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