Nearly one million people have shingles every year, with most cases after age 60. The disease is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus lies dormant in the body and scientists are not sure what activates it to cause shingles.
There is a reason why the risk of shingles increases with age says researcher Tyring M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
"With each decade, a person's immunity weakens, so that by 60 years of age, the likelihood of shingles significantly increases," Tyring said in a statement. "In fact, one out of two people who live to the age of 85 will have had shingles." And although seniors are at higher risk, shingles can affect people of all ages.
Although most people recover from shingles without any problems, others experience nerve pain for an extended period of time. That pain occurs when the virus damages certain nerves, according to the American Pain Foundation.
It advises people who have shingles to see their doctors promptly for care. Other long-term problems from shingles include skin infection, muscle weakness, scarring, and either a decrease or loss of vision or hearing.
