Chicken pox infection is very common in children. Its effects are mild and once children have had it, they are immune to further infection. However, the virus remains in the body for life. Normally, it lies dormant in some nerve fibres but any decline in the immune system may allow the virus to reappear in adulthood as shingles. In this form, it is a much more serious and debilitating illness.
Shingles can affect adults at any age but the likelihood of an outbreak increases with age.
Re-activation is common in elderly people and in people whose immune system has become weakened. The first symptom to appear is a general sensitivity or burning sensation on the skin in the affected area. After a few days, a rash begins to erupt. It appears as a band, following the route of a nerve under the skin. The blisters dry after a few days, become crusted and gradually form scabs.