Shingles, the herpes zoster virus, is an illness that is common in people over the age of fifty. Recently though, it has been showing up more and more frequently in young people. Shingles, which is commonly called adult chicken pox isn¡¦t the same chicken pox you remember. Shingles usually attacks specific areas including the neck, face, chest, and waist instead of your entire body. The part about scratching causing scarring still applies though.

The main cause of shingles is stress, especially when it turns up in the young population. The disease can be extremely painful even after the rash disappears. The shingles virus attacks a certain path of nerves in the body. Nerve pain is thought to be the most painful and it may take longer for nerves to heal than the skin. So try to relax and have patience; the pain will go away.