Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which first enters the body as chickenpox and never leaves.
The virus stays dormant in sensory nerve roots, and in about one-third of individuals reactivates later in life as shingles. It often appears as an angry red rash on the torso, but about 20 percent of cases show up in the eye area on one side of the face -- typically with redness on and around the eyelid, and sometimes on the forehead and scalp.
According to research, these cases of shingles on the eye are on the rise.
James Chodosh, MD, MPH, joins Dr. Roizen to discuss the shingles virus, why it can be dangerous when manifesting in the eye, and how you can prevent it.
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