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New Research commissioned ahead of Shingles Awareness Week which took place 26th February to 3rd March , revealed that Australians aged 50-79 have limited understanding of shingles .
The survey , conducted by GSK Australia , shows that while 62 per cent of people perceive the impact of this disease as ‘ extremely negative ’, only 14 per cent believe they are extremely likely to be personally at risk of shingles in their lifetime .
Shingles can be a painful and potentially debilitating condition and about one in three people will develop it in their lifetime . Shingles Awareness Week aimed to increase understanding of the impact of shingles and address common misconceptions surrounding shingles .
Shingles is a viral infection that is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus , the same virus that causes chickenpox earlier in life . Those who have had chickenpox already carry the virus that causes shingles and nearly all adults aged 50 years and older carry this inactive virus .
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Leading expert Professor Tony Cunningham , Director of the Centre for Virus Research ( WIMR ) and Professor for the Faculty of Medicine & Health at the University of Sydney , suggests Australians over the age of 50 to consider their shingles risk and understand more about the disease .
“ If you ’ ve had chickenpox the virus can remain in your body , kept dormant by your immune system . As you age , there is a decline in your immunity that can leave you susceptible to the reactivation of the virus , and if this occurs , reactivation of the virus leads to shingles ,” said Professor
Cunningham . “ Shingles can be a painful disease that can impact your quality of life so being aware of the symptoms and not underestimating your risk is important . This Shingles Awareness Week discuss shingles with your doctor . Discuss it with your family , particularly with older members of your family who are more at risk and may not be aware of shingles .”
Further research commissioned by
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GSK ( which surveyed 3,500 people globally , of which 250 were from Australia ), showed the majority of people surveyed ( 86 percent ) underestimate or don ’ t know their risk of developing shingles , with over a quarter ( 26 per cent ) believing just 1 in 100 are likely to develop the disease . However , about one in three people will develop shingles in their lifetime .
Additionally , just over a quarter ( 27 per cent ) of people surveyed believe shingles is “ essentially harmless .” Shingles typically develops as a painful , itchy and blistering rash , on one side of the body or on the face . The pain can be described as burning , shock-like and sharp .
More than half ( 55 per cent ) of people surveyed believe you can “ catch ” shingles from someone else with shingles and 50 per cent believed you can “ catch ” shingles from someone with chickenpox . It is important to note that shingles cannot be transmitted directly from someone with shingles or chickenpox . Whilst the same
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virus is responsible for both diseases , the initial infection leads to chickenpox and the virus remains dormant until reactivation later , causing shingles .
To help reduce the impact on people ’ s lives and the disruption to everyday activities that shingles can cause , Australians aged 50 years and over should speak to their healthcare professional and learn more about the signs , symptoms and risk factors for shingles .
For more information about shingles , speak to a healthcare professional and visit www . knowshingles . com . au
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