Shingles affects every third person aged 50 to 90 years.

One in three people between the ages of 50 and 90 will have an episode of herpes zoster during their lifetime. Despite its high prevalence, there is a lack of awareness about the perceived risk of developing this disease and its possible complications, according to a study conducted by pharmaceutical company GSK worldwide.

This study, sponsored by GSK and conducted among 3,500 adults over 50 years of age in 12 countries, assessed participants’ knowledge about tiles (also known as “shingles»), its triggers and impact on people’s lives.

The study shows that some respondents do not know about the risk of developing Herpes zoster, with 86% underestimating this risk. A quarter (26%) believe only 1 in 100 people are at risk of contracting shingles in their lifetime, almost a fifth (17%) believe it is 1 in 1,000, and almost half (49%) believe it is unlikely they will development of herpes zoster.

In fact, it is assumed that 1 in 3 people aged 50 to 90 will have an episode of shingles in their lifetime.. This is because shingles is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virusthe same virus that causes chickenpox and is usually contracted during childhood.

As people age, their immune system weakens, which is known as immunoaging, and loses the ability to keep the virus under control; which increases the likelihood of contracting this disease. It also occurs in people who have weakened immune systems due to certain medical conditions or treatments.

One in ten adults don’t know the most common symptoms

The survey results also show lack of awareness of the pain that shingles can cause. The disease usually manifests as blisters, which can be painful and most often affect the chest, face and head; It is often described as burning, tingling, or electric shock sensation. However, One in ten adults surveyed do not know their most common symptoms and more than a quarter (28%) believe it is a disease “harmless”.

In cases where pain persists after the shingles rash has healed, shingles may occur. postherpetic neuralgia (NPH) is a chronic nerve pain that can persist for weeks, months, or even years. This is the most common complication of shingles, affecting up to 1 in 10 people.

Based on these data, Roxana Biadei, Head of the Policy and Advocacy Program at International Federation on Aging (IF), indicates that there is “There is a clear need to strengthen our educational efforts regarding the risk and impact of herpes zoster. As global advocates for and for population aging, we are proud to contribute to this global effort to raise awareness about this disease and help adults understand the risks and complications associated with this painful pathology.”.

For his part, the doctor Raquel Alfaro, Specialist in Family and Community Medicine of the Andalusian Health Service and Secretary of the Working Group on Infectious Diseases, Migrants, Vaccines and Prevention (IMVAP) SEMERGENindicates that although Spain did not participate in this survey, “Yes, the data largely reflects the reality that medical professionals in our country face during consultations. Eat many doubts about shingles and many patients mistakenly believe that it is just a self-limiting skin rash and that there is more to it than that.”.

“He Shingles can cause complications of varying severityd, from complications such as superinfection of lesions, to complications at the level of the nervous system such as stroke, deafness, damage to nerve fibers… with the most common complication being postherpetic neuralgia, which appears in 10% of patients and, within They can even appear V 50% of patients are over 60 years old and 75% of patients are over 70 years old»warns the expert.

The results of this survey were presented as part of Shingles Awareness Week What GSKin collaboration with the International Federation on Aging (IF), is organizing another year from February 26 to March 3. This is a global awareness initiative aimed at solving the problem lack of knowledge about the risks and severity of herpes zoster.