- Award-winning actress and producer Viola Davis is opening up about her painful experience with shingles and how it changed her approach to her health.
- Davis said the pain reached a 9 out of 10, prompting her to take her health more seriously and prioritize stress management.
- Shingles risk increases with age, particularly after 50, but vaccination is more than 90% effective at preventing the disease.
Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award-winning actress and producer Viola Davis was 50 years old and at the height of her career when she developed shingles.
“All of a sudden, I got a rash in the middle of traveling and juggling [back-to-back] movies that started in the middle of my stomach [and] wrapped around my back,” she told Healthline. “And the pain was definitely at a 9 out of 10.”
Focused on work, Davis didn’t see a doctor right away. Her symptoms eventually subsided but later returned on her upper back.
“That is when I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I just got bitten by a poisonous spider,” said Davis. “It felt like really bad nerve pain…then someone mentioned the word shingles.”
After seeing a doctor, Davis learned she had shingles, which is caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox. She also learned that the risk increases with age as the immune system naturally weakens.
“It can also lead to herpetic neuralgia, lifelong pain that can result from a shingles outbreak,” Robyn Liu, MD, member of the board of directors at the American Academy of Family Physicians, told Healthline.
Shingles can affect daily life, including work and sleep.
“Many people don’t realize that shingles can be associated with nerve pain, and for some, that pain can last for months or even years after the rash has resolved due to potential long-term complications,” Jennifer Caudle, DO, family medicine physician and associate professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, told Healthline.
“Anyone who has had chickenpox can get it, but the risk goes up as we age,” said Liu.
After learning about shingles, Davis said she realized that she could no longer ignore her body.
“You just cannot. I mean, I know that people say it at nauseam, but, for me, it meant slowing down,” she said. “But then the shingles slowed me down…even though I was getting up, I was working out, [the] pain and the sluggishness was awful.”
Now 61, Davis has teamed up with GSK for its “Shingles, actually” campaign to raise awareness about shingles.
“[I’m] sending the message out there for women to really honor themselves and honor their bodies,” she said. “Their bodies literally speak. They’re the other character in their lives.”
After her experience with shingles, Davis began scheduling regular annual checkups.
“Before that time, I did absolutely go to my doctor, but only when it was absolutely necessary, you know, to get my colonoscopy, get my mammogram, but I never went if something felt odd,” said Davis.
Now, whenever she feels off, she doesn’t hesitate to see her doctor. She makes it a point to be honest with them about what’s going on with her body, and she is not shy about asking questions.
“I feel that it’s my job. It’s what I owe myself, and not only [do] I owe myself, it’s what I owe my daughter, it’s what I owe my husband, it’s what I owe my elderly mom, who is in advanced dementia [and] I take care of her,” Davis said.
Caudle stressed the importance of bringing questions to your doctor.
“That’s what we’re here for. Sometimes patients tell me they don’t realize they can ask questions or introduce a topic that their healthcare provider didn’t bring up first,” she said. “But a simple question like, ‘Am I at risk for shingles?’ can be a great place to begin.”
Davis has made stress reduction a priority. When she developed shingles, she was juggling an intense workload and adjusting to life as a new mom after adopting her daughter.
“I was someone who just ignored stress,” said Davis. “[When] we meet each other, it becomes a contest: Who can work through their stress the best? I felt like I had to strike while the iron was hot.”
Today, Davis makes stress reduction a priority through activities such as spraying her pillows with lavender, taking Epsom salt baths, meditating, going to therapy, exercising, spending time outdoors, using vagus nerve stimulation, and connecting with family and friends.
“It’s like I overdo it now because I feel like I have to overdo it in order to compete with my schedule. But that’s what I owe myself,” Davis said.
Still, her profession can be intense and time consuming due to shooting and promotional schedules. She still makes time to de-stress and focuses on projects that bring her joy.
“Your career is only as important as how much you enjoy it; how much it adds to your life,” said Davis. “[For] me, it used to be something that I felt defined my worth. I don’t feel like it defines my worth now…I feel that I’m already worthy… I was born worthy. That’s how I see it.”
Vaccination is the best way to protect against shingles, Liu said. The shingles vaccine is more than
“For children, that protection begins with the chickenpox vaccine, which can be given along with other routine childhood immunizations. Preventing chickenpox also lowers the risk of developing shingles later in life,” she said.
Liu recommends two doses of the shingles vaccine for adults 50 and older, as well as adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems.
“Some patients may have more questions because side effects can be more noticeable than with other vaccines, so it’s important to understand the tradeoff: short-term discomfort from the vaccine versus the risk of lasting complications from shingles,” said Liu.
Side effects may include headache or redness, swelling, itching, and soreness where the shot was given.
“I tell my patients that these reactions are common and usually clear up within a day or two. They’re a normal sign that your body is building protection,” said Liu.
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