Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Shingles

Age Of Individual

The age of the individual has an impact on their risk factor for developing shingles. If an individual is older than fifty, their chances of contracting shingles or having the virus become non-dormant are significantly higher. According to some researchers, at least half of all individuals who are eighty years old and older have had or will contract shingles. A patient's risk becomes increasingly higher the older they get. Most cases of shingles happen after age fifty, but there have been reported cases where individuals younger contract the disease. 

Shingles almost always occurs in individuals who previously had chickenpox, and it's unlikely to show up in those who have not had it. Some studies indicate one in three individuals in the United States will develop shingles at some point during their life, and about a million cases of the disease are reported every year. Getting vaccinated against chickenpox can prevent patients from developing shingles later. If individuals haven't been exposed to the varicella-zoster virus, they cannot develop shingles later in life.