Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin around it. It is caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
See the Health A-Z topic on Chickenpox for more information about this condition.
Most people have chickenpox in childhood, but after the illness has gone, the virus remains dormant (inactive) in the nervous system. The immune system (the body’s natural defence system) keeps the virus in check, but later in life it can be reactivated and cause shingles.
Shingles usually affects a specific area on either the left or right side of the body. The main symptoms are:
- pain
- a rash, which develops into itchy blisters and then scabs over
See Shingles - symptoms for more information.
How common is shingles?
It is estimated that about 3 people in every 1,000 have shingles in the UK every year.
Shingles can occur at any age, but is most common in people who are over 50 years of age. Among people who are over 80 years of age, about 11 people in every 1,000 have shingles each year. Shingles is much less common in children.
It is unknown exactly why the shingles virus is reactivated at a later stage in life, but it may be due to having lowered immunity (protection). This may be the result of:
- being older
- being stressed
- a condition that affects your immune system, such as HIV and AIDS
Outlook
In most cases, the painful rash of shingles lasts 7 to 10 days and takes 2 to 4 weeks to fully heal. A number of different medicines can be used to treat the pain.
Complications can occur after you have had shingles, such as postherpetic neuralgia (see Shingles - complications). This is where severe nerve pain lasts for more than three months after the rash has gone.
It is estimated that postherpetic neuralgia affects at least 1 in 10 people with shingles. It is more common in older people, and affects around one-third of people who are over 80 and who have shingles.
See the Health A-Z topic on Neuralgia for more information about this condition.