If you’ve ever had chickenpox, you may be at risk for a painful disease called shingles as you grow older. Shingles is a sometimes-agonizing skin rash and nerve disease that’s caused by a virus. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent shingles or ease its serious effects. Shingles usually affects adults after age 50, although it can strike at any age. “In the U.S., the incidence of shingles is actually increasing,” says Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, an infectious disease researcher at NIH. “If you live to be 85 years old, you have a 50% chance of getting shingles.” Shingles is […]
