What is shingles?

ingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus – the same virus that causes chickenpox. In people who have had chickenpox in their childhood, the virus remains inactive in the body. When they get older or the body gets somewhat weak, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

What is an incidence of shingles?

• Shingles is common in people aged 50 years and older.
• In the U.S., shingles strikes about one million people each year. About half of them are ages 60 and older, and 80% of people ages 85 and over have had shingles.

Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. The risk increases with age and lowered immunity.

Burning pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. After one or two days, fluid-filled blisters appear on one side of the body. The blisters will be generally dried out between 2-4 weeks. However, the burning pain along a nerve to skin can sometimes last for weeks or months after the blisters have cleared.

Complications from shingles can include the possible development of bacterial skin infections. Shingles in or around an eye can result in vision loss. In most cases, the burning pain travels along the nerve causing burning up to the skin and continues for weeks or months (postherpetic neuralgia). The pain caused by shingles is usually severe in older adults and sometimes it prevents sufferers from going about their normal activities.

Antiviral medication is used to treat the shingles. The burning pain along a nerve and skin can be reduced by steroids, pain killers, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and sleeping pills (in cases of severe pain).

Vaccines can prevent shingles in people ages 50 and older. Vaccines reduce the chance of getting shingles and minimize the burning pain along a nerve and skin caused by shingles. A single dose of vaccine usually remains protective at least 5 years.