February 26 to March 3 this year is Shingles Awareness Week. Zhang Li, Director of Comprehensive Ward II at the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Geriatrics, stated that in addition to age, patients with chronic diseases and rheumatic immune diseases also face a higher risk of developing shingles. Older adults should strengthen their own immunity, pay attention to diet and exercise, and keep chronic diseases well controlled, which can help prevent the disease.

　　A science popularization event themed "Recognize the Risk of Shingles, Raise Awareness of Prevention" was recently held in Guangzhou. Yang Wenlin, Director of the Dermatology Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, introduced: "Shingles is a common skin disease, and the 'chief culprit' is the varicella-zoster virus. As people age, immune function gradually declines, and the virus reactivates to cause shingles."

　　It is understood that shingles, as one of the most common infectious diseases among middle-aged and older adults, has age as its most important risk factor. Yang Wenlin reminded: "People aged 50 and above are the susceptible population for shingles; the older they are, the more likely they are to develop the disease, and the more severe the condition. The early symptoms of shingles resemble a cold, which many people overlook, thereby delaying early treatment. In addition to the waist, shingles can occur in various nerve segments throughout the body, especially on the head and face, where it can cause relatively severe syndromes."

　　In addition to age, patients with chronic diseases and rheumatic immune diseases also face a higher risk of developing shingles. Zhang Li added that compared with the general population, patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a 24-41% increased risk of developing shingles, and patients with autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus) have 2.3 to 4 times the risk of shingles compared with the general population.

　　For high-risk groups, vaccination is one of the important preventive measures. Cao Zhi, Deputy Director of the Jinsha Street Community Health Service Center, introduced: "Because of their low immunity, people with chronic diseases are more susceptible to infectious diseases, which also increases the difficulty of chronic disease management, so they need vaccination even more. Attention should be paid to the timing of vaccination: if a patient is in an acute episode or the disease is progressing, vaccination should be postponed, and once the disease is stable, they should be vaccinated as soon as possible."