With the death of the television actor Sanjiv Bedi this week, city doctors warn of the viral infection shingles. It was reported that the actor known for his role as Dr Omi in Sanjivani was in his late thirties and was suffering from extreme case of shingles. Dr Om Shrivastav, who sees nearly 10 cases of shingles a month in his private practice, calls it the ‘nastier cousin of chickenpox.’ Also Read - This is how you can get rid of a cold sore

Also known as Herpes zoster, shingles is a viral disease that leads to painful skin rashes with blisters on one side of the body. Even before the lesions start appearing, early symptoms of the condition include acute chest pain that is felt more like a burning sensation. Apart from this, red patches begin to appear followed by blisters that form small sores. These sores gradually dry and form crusts. The crusts usually fall off in 2 to 3 weeks without leaving scars behind. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in the nerve roots. In some people, the virus reactivates years later as shingles. Also Read - 5 natural remedies for cold sores you MUST try!

Here are a few factors that increase your risk of suffering from shingles:

If you suffered from chickenpox, chances of getting affected by shingles is high, as both these diseases are caused by the common virus.

You are more susceptible to suffer from the condition if you have a weakened immune system due to HIV or diabetes.

If you are above 50 years, the ability to fight against infections is low which can lead to shingles.

These include anticancer drugs, steroids and those prescribed after an organ transplant.

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