Dr Richard Mills (General Practitioner):
Shingles is a virus infection.
It’s caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus.
It causes a painful, blistering rash on one side of the face or body.
Symptoms usually last 2 to 3 weeks, but occasionally they can last much longer, including causing long term nerve pain.
This is called post-herpetic neuralgia.
It can also cause more serious infection, including infection of the lungs, the eye, it can affect hearing and also rarely it can cause inflammation of the brain.
So, shield yourself from shingles.
Talk to your health professional about getting your vaccine today.
For more information go to health.gov.au/shingles-vaccine.
Talk to your health professional about getting your vaccine today.
For more information go to health.gov.au/shingles-vaccine.