Shingles (herpes zoster) is often thought of as an older person’s disease.

But in the past two decades, we’ve seen a rise in reported cases of this viral disease – which causes a painful, blistering rash and nerve pain – among younger adults aged 25–49.

To what extent this represents a real rise in cases, or just increased reporting, is not clear. Some people with shingles may not even see a doctor.

Shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster). After a chickenpox infection, the virus lies dormant in nerve tissue and can reactivate after many years. This can happen more than once.

Older people........

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