On 9/9, I went to see my PCP about a rash that had developed on my skin. I was diagnosed with shingles, but since it had been nearly two weeks, I was told it was too late for antiviral medication, which only helps if taken within 72 hours of its appearing.
The rash had started about two weeks earlier, with five painful patches on my left arm. They tingled and itched, eventually forming blisters. I assumed they would go away on their own and didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I pushed through the discomfort with sheer willpower, not even skipping a day of my regular exercise routine.
It wasn’t until that weekend, when we visited my son, that my daughter noticed the rash and insisted I see a doctor. So, I went the following Monday.
When I told my relatives in China, one of my sisters suggested that I might have gotten the rash from a swimming pool. A few others echoed this. But I had already done my research—checked the Mayo Clinic, a source I trust—and learned that shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus remains in your body for life, and it can reactivate years later as shingles. It’s definitely not something you can catch from a swimming pool.
This was the second lesson I learned from this experience: always do your own research. Arm yourself with knowledge rather than relying on others' opinions or random guesses.
The first lesson I learned was to seek medical help early. Initially, someone had suggested that the rash was from bug bites, but I knew this was different—the affected areas felt hot and painful in a way that bug bites don't. Still, I didn't want to overreact to a skin rash.
It wasn't until I read that early treatment for shingles can shorten the infection and reduce the risk of complications—like postherpetic neuralgia, which causes lingering pain after the blisters have healed—that I realized ignoring it wasn’t the wisest move. Let’s hope I’ve avoided that complication.
Yesterday, I watched people cleaning up fallen leaves on the street, surrounded by clouds of dust from the leaf blowers, with the deafening noise filling the air. None of them wore earplugs or masks to protect themselves from the dust. They might reconsider it if they’d done some research on the health risks from inhaling dust and mold while raking leaves. This is just another example of the cost of ignorance.
A Chinese saying goes, 小病不治，大病难医 (Xiǎo bìng bù zhì, dà bìng nán yī), "If small illnesses at early stage are left untreated, they become difficult to cure when they turn serious at late stage." It captures the essence of my experience, where delaying medical attention for what seemed like a minor issue could have led to more serious complications. The saying emphasizes the importance of addressing problems early.
I share this shingles experience in the hope that readers can take something from it: never downplay a health issue. Early medical attention can prevent complications down the line. Always equip yourself with knowledge rather than relying on assumptions or hearsay. In the end, ignorance is a risk we should all avoid.