Shingles

Overview

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a disease that causes a painful, blistering rash. It occurs year-round and can affect up to one million Americans every year. The risk of getting shingles increases with age, but shingles can also occur in younger persons and even in healthy children. Most cases (about 95 percent) happen in people who have never had shingles before.

The risk of getting shingles is increased in people with weakened immune systems (which can happen with certain medications, cancers and infections). Sometimes, in people with weakened immune systems, shingles can cause a more widespread rash or affect the nervous system, lungs and liver.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. When first infected with the virus, usually in childhood, people develop chickenpox. But the virus stays in the body permanently. In most people, it never causes any more symptoms or illness. But in others, the virus re-activates and causes shingles. No one knows exactly why this happens, but normal aging and weakening of the immune system appear to be factors.

The rash of shingles usually appears on just one side of the body, most often on the torso or face. Nearly everyone who gets shingles has pain and the pain can be severe. Pain and numbness may begin in the area two to four days before the rash appears and the pain may last long after the rash disappears. In some cases, the pain may continue for a year or even longer. There is no effective therapy available to treat this pain, called post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN.

A vaccine for prevention of shingles is available in the U.S. for people 60 years of age and older, the group most affected by shingles. The vaccine reduces the chances of getting shingles by about 50 percent. Although people who are vaccinated may still get shingles, the vaccine has been shown to reduce the possibility that they will get PHN after the rash has healed.

Talk to your health care provider about shingles. To find out more about shingles and the vaccine available to protect against it, visit the links in this section that include information for consumers/patients, health care providers and the media.