Legendary sports broadcaster and popular contestant in RTE’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Des Cahill, this week launched a campaign urging people to be aware of shingles. This viral disease, characterised by a painful rash, affects the nerves and the surrounding skin.
Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the chicken pox virus and as 95% of adults had chicken pox when they were young, they could be at risk of getting shingles when they are older.
There is a 1 in 4 chance that you could develop shingles at some point in your lifetime. Shingles can be a serious and debilitating condition, experienced by thousands in Ireland each year. It is characterised by a rash which usually affects one side of the body (mainly the torso) or less commonly the head or neck, or around the eye.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Des Cahill said: “Many friends and colleagues have had shingles and it can strike at any time. I’ve seen how painful it can be, so I would encourage everyone to ‘take a step in the right direction’ and talk to their doctor about Shingles.”
Also commenting on the campaign, John Lindsay, Chairman of Chronic Pain Ireland added: “The condition is also more severe in people over 50 so if you’ve had chicken pox as a child, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms talk to your healthcare professional.”
