Just one in five people over the age of 50 in Ireland is well informed about shingles, a new survey has found.

Shingles is a viral disease that affects the nerves and surrounding skin. It is caused by the herpes varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. Once a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in their nervous system. If this virus becomes reactivated, it becomes shingles.

Symptoms include a painful, blistering rash on the body. Some 20% of adults over the age of 50 in Ireland have developed shingles.

The survey of 372 adults over the age of 50 found that while all had heard of shingles, only one in five was well informed about it. Two in three people knew little about the condition.

Overall, women appeared to know more about the condition than men, however there seemed to be a lot of confusion about the link between shingles and chickenpox.

Half of people thought these were the same illness, while just four in 10 knew that if a person has not had chickenpox, they can catch it from someone who has shingles.

The results of the survey were launched as part of the Healthy Ageing campaign, which is supported by Age Action Ireland, Chronic Pain Ireland and Sanofi Pasteur MSD.

"We urge people to talk to their healthcare professional if they would like further information on the management or prevention of this disease. Shingles can be very uncomfortable for the sufferer, and can also lead to a condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is an extremely painful condition and difficult to treat," commented Chronic Pain Ireland chairman, John Lindsay.

The survey was carried out by Empathy Research in September 2016.