TV star Eamonn Holmes had no idea he could even get shingles before he was struck down with the condition in 2018.
Holmes, 63, woke up one morning to a rash across one side of his face just days before his son Declan’s wedding day.
But having made a full recovery from shingles, an infection caused by the reactivation of the herpes zoster virus that also causes chickenpox, the broadcaster has teamed up with former Strictly Come Dancing favourite James Jordan and GSK to spread the word about risk factors, signs and symptoms.
Shingles Awareness Week runs from 27 February to 5 March, and Holmes has encouraged everyone to get educated about the condition, as he confessed his own lack of knowledge before his own bout.
“The only reference I’d ever heard was in relation to women, sometimes around pregnancy and therefore I was led to believe women were more susceptible, which I now know is not the case,” admitted Holmes.
“Then when I got it, I wasn’t aware of what I had; I looked in the mirror, I had no idea what I was looking at except this hideously blistered face.
“I went to the doctor, and they were able to tell me straight away it was shingles.”
Shingles only occurs in those who have had chickenpox, but that accounts for around 90% of the population.
Those more likely to come down with the disease are aged over 50 with stress also potentially a factor, facts Holmes now realises made him more likely to get it.
“I wasn’t aware of anything, I just woke up one day and there it was,” he added. “I had to put my work on pause, as well as my personal life.”
“It’s only afterwards that you piece it all together and realise that age is a factor, your immunity becomes worn down the older you get, and that I was under stress.
“I realised in my life, professionally and personally, I was under a lot of stress at that time that made me susceptible. I realised I was a prime example of someone who could get shingles.
“The fact is you have got to look at your own life and realise you are not going to be immune from this if you have had chickenpox there’s a chance you could get shingles particularly if there are other lifestyle factors in play.”
While Holmes’ shingles appeared more obviously on his face, Strictly star Jordan initially thought wife Ola had missed a spot on his back whilst applying suncream while on holiday.
But as the pain refused to subside, it was Jordan’s mum who first suggested shingles before a doctor confirmed it.
“My first sign was the pain, I felt the pain first and said to my wife that she’d missed a bit of suncream on my back,” reflected Jordan.
“It persisted and I showed my mum who said it might be shingles, it was so painful and just didn’t go away.
“It still didn’t really resonate what it was or what I needed to do. I had no idea what it was. By the time I got to the doctor they said there was nothing they could do, I just had to wait it out.”
While Jordan did not tick all the boxes for a typical shingles patient, he was keen to emphasise the fact that it can affect anybody and that it can be treated if caught early, with stress a key factor for the then 42-year-old.
“It’s not like I was in my 20s dealing with stress and I’m sure that it made a difference that I was closer to 50 alongside the most stressful thing I have ever been through in my life,” added Jordan.
“Everyone at some point is going to get a lot of stress in their life. If you are over 50 and you go through something stressful like a bereavement you could be susceptible to it.
“You can’t really stop it because you are not going to stop getting stressed. I grieved my father, I am convinced that was a factor in why I got shingles, but you can’t control your emotions and what you go through in life sometimes.
“I don’t want people to be scared of shingles, just be aware of it.”
Shingles awareness week runs from February 27-March 5 with this year’s theme ‘shingles could pause the life you love’. Understanding Shingles is a campaign by GSK supported by Eammon Holmes and James Jordan in partnership with the International Federation on Ageing, the Shingles Support Society and Age UK. For more information visit www.understandingshingles.co.uk
