The severity of shingles and risk of complications increase with age.1 While most people recover fully, the condition can significantly disrupt daily life.2
The painful rash from shingles outbreak can significantly disrupt daily life, affecting one’s ability to work, overall mood and quality of life, sometimes leading to social withdrawal and depression.2 The financial burden associated with treatment and time off work can also be substantial.2
Some patients may also experience longer-term complications. About 1 in 5 people with shingles may develop postherpetic neuralgia (PHN),3 the most common complication of shingles.3,4 It causes severe and debilitating nerve pain that can last months to years after the rashes clear up,3,4 interfering with daily activities.5 When shingles affects the face, it can reach the eye and cause a condition called herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), which occurs in up to 25% of cases.6 In rare instances, this can lead to vision loss.6
Other complications of shingles can include permanent skin scarring, secondary bacterial infections, hearing loss, and very rarely, pneumonia, encephalitis and stroke.3,4
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles facts and stats. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/data-research/index.html. Accessed 17 September 2025.
2. Gatar, A., et al. (2015). The humanistic, economic and societal burden of herpes zoster in Europe: A critical review. BMC Public Health, 15, 193.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles symptoms and complications. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/signs-symptoms/index.html. Accessed 17 September 2025.
4. World Health Organization. Shingles (herpes zoster): Fact sheets. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/shingles-(herpes-zoster). Accessed 17 September 2025.
5. Oster, G., et al. (2005). Pain, medication use, and health-related quality of life in older persons with postherpetic neuralgia: results from a population-based survey. Journal of Pain, 6, 356–363.
6. Shaikh, S. & Ta, C. N. (2002). Evaluation and management of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. American Family Physician, 66, 1723–1730.
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