| What Causes Shingles? |
| Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. |
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If you've had chickenpox (over 90% of US adults have), the virus remains in your body and can cause Shingles. |
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The chickenpox virus stays inactive in certain nerves. |
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If the virus becomes active again, usually later in life, it causes the painful disease called Shingles. |
How Do You Get Shingles? |
| You are at risk for getting Shingles if you have had chickenpox. In addition: |
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Conditions that weaken the body's immune (defense) system, such as aging, cancer, or certain drugs, increase the chance that the virus will become active again, resulting in Shingles. |
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You should know that there is no way to predict who will get Shingles, or when. |
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About half of the nearly 1 million Shingles cases in the United States each year occur in people aged 60 years and older. |
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1 out of 2 people living to age 85 will have Shingles. |
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The older you get, the longer the Shingles rash may last. |
Key Facts About Shingles |
| Shingles, also called herpes zoster (HZ), can be a painful disease that can affect anyone who has had chickenpox. |
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It can start at any time, without warning. |
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The first signs of Shingles are often felt and may not be seen. These can include: itching, tingling and burning. A few days later a rash of fluid-filled blisters appears, usually on one side of the body or face. |
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Sometimes the pain before the rash appears can be confused with other conditions and this can make Shingles difficult to diagnose early on. |
