Shingles: Causes and Risk Factors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "One out of every three people in the United States will develop shingles." Shingles is also known as herpes zoster or zoster.
The same virus which causes chickenpox also causes shingles. The varicella zoster virus remains dormant in your body after you suffer chickenpox. Medical experts are uncertain why the virus reactivates and causes shingles years later.
Your risk of shingles increases with age. Generally, men and women over 60 years of age develop shingles. This age group represents over 50 percent of shingles cases. However, some children are known to have shingles after they suffer from chickenpox. Also, you may only suffer from one case of shingles in your lifetime. But, there have been rare instances where patients will have shingles two or three times during their lifetime.
http://www.empowher.com/shingles/content/facts-about-shingles
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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