Ed Sheeran says he battled shingles: What to know about the condition
Ed Sheeran revealed this week he's been dealing with a concerning health issue.
The singer and songwriter took to social media with a wide-spanning life update earlier this week, and noted that he has been battling shingles, a viral skin infection, for a month.
Sheeran shared eight notes including one that read "Ive had shingles for the last month, wouldn’t recommend it, but on the mend now."
Sheeran's health trouble comes amid a break in his Loop tour, which he kicked off with dates in New Zealand and Australia earlier this year. The "Perfect" singer is slated to return to the stage for the North American leg, starting in May in the Dominican Republic.
In his life update, Sheeran noted that the tour is still on as scheduled.
"Restarting the loop tour in a week and a bit, cant wait to get back cracking on that, see you lovely people there," he wrote.
Read on for everything to know about shingles.
What is shingles?
Shingles is a rash-causing illness which can be painful, itchy or tingly, and is caused by a virus reactivating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"People get shingles when the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox, reactivates in their bodies after they have already had chickenpox," CDC says.
The rash can lead to complications, the most common one being long-term nerve pain, postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN, the CDC notes.
What is the most common age for someone to get shingles?
Sheeran's case of shingles is somewhat rare for his age of 35.
"About half of all shingles cases are in adults age 60 or older," National Institute on Aging notes. "The chance of getting shingles becomes much greater by age 70."
But, the institute continues, "Everyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for developing shingles."
Around 1 in 3 people develop shingles in their lifetime in America, according to the CDC.
How to prevent against shingles
The best way to prevent shingles is with the vaccine, the CDC says. The agency advises adults 50 and up who are suffering from the condition to take 2 doses of the vaccine, RZV and Shingrix.
"Shingrix is also recommended for adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy," the CDC adds.
A small group of people who get vaccinated will still get shingles, but the vaccine can still provide excellent protection against PHN after infection.
If you have shingles, the CDC recommends covering the rash and avoid touching it in order to help stop the virus from spreading.
Antiviral medicines that help treat shingles include Acyclovir, Valacyclovir and Famciclovir, according to the CDC.
