Shingles can be agonising, Painaustralia want to know just how bad it is

Peak body Painaustralia has launched a national survey for people of any age who have had shingles or been affected by shingles and the pain which results from it. Relatives are also invited to take the survey.

One in three Australians are at risk of developing shingles and most Australians will carry the inactive virus that causes it. Most people were exposed to chicken pox, which is caused by the varicella zoster virus, as children.

The chicken pox vaccination was not introduced to the National Immunisation Program until 2005.

After an attack of chickenpox the virus remains inactive in the body until reactivated. It is the reactivation which causes shingles - usually a painful rash on one side of the body which lasts several weeks. If the rash is on the face it can damage vision.

One of the most debilitating effects of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia. This is a painful condition that causes shingles pain for months after the blisters have cleared.

"Many people don't realise that chronic pain is one of the harshest effects of shingles," said Painaustralia chief executive Giulia Jones.

"We would like to invite people from all over Australia to tell us what it has been like for them and answer the questions."

Ms Jones said Painaustralia hoped to produce a report to shed light on how people with shingles live, the associated pain and how their lives are affected by this condition.

"Their stories will assist us to raise awareness of the impact of shingles, the importance of the vaccination and reduce the stigma people face with chronic pain conditions.

"We want to highlight the pain and discomfort of shingles and make people living with its chronic pain more visible," she said.

Recently the federal government announced that people 65 and over and some vulnerable groups are eligible for a free course of the Shingrix vaccine under the National Immunisation Program.

"While this is an excellent initiative, we want to hear from people especially those aged 50-65 who are not yet eligible for a government funded vaccine to see how their work lives have been affected by the pain and discomfort that shingles entails," Ms Jones said.

"We are keen to hear more and let consumers tell us in their own words how this pain has affected their lives."

The survey will be open until January 9, 2024 and can be found here.