Demi Moore says she got shingles while filming intense horror film. The signs and symptoms not to ignore

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Demi Moore's performance in the new horror film "The Substance" caused her to develop shingles. In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, the 61-year-old actress recalled the physical toll the film had on her health.

"To give you an idea of the intensity, my first week that I actually had off, where it was just Margaret working, I got shingles," Moore said, adding she also lost 20 pounds.

In the film, Moore plays a 50-year-old actress facing ageism in Hollywood. In a desperate bid to recapture the career momentum from her youth, she tries a mysterious substance that allows her body to generate a version of her younger self, played by Margaret Qualley, from her spine.

"You have to walk away feeling that you put it all on the table," Moore said. "It called for it and it's what you want to bring to it."

According to Health Canada, approximately 130,000 new cases of shingles are diagnosed each year, and 1 in 3 Canadians will experience shingles at some point in their lifetime.

While those at risk for shingles are typically either immunocompromised or over the age of 60 — experts say the rate of shingles in young adults has been increasing over the past few decades

What is shingles — and can it be brought on by stress? Keep reading to learn more.

What is shingles, and how does it compare to chicken pox?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. If you've ever had the chicken pox, the virus remains inactive in your body long after you've healed.

As you age, the virus can reactivate, presenting as shingles — a band of raised red dots that eventually develop into fluid-filled blisters. These bands of shingles can occur anywhere on the body, but most often appear on the torso, trunk or face.

The pain level of shingles can vary but should not be underestimated by any means — and not considered the "adult chicken pox."

In a 2018 interview with Yahoo Canada, Dennis Bowden, who developed shingles at age 39, called the virus "the worst pain" he'd ever experienced. Bowden compared the pain to an "intense electric shock" and said his initial outbreak that occurred on his jaw felt like a "jolt of intense pain."

What are the signs and symptoms of shingles?

Aside from the tingling, itchy skin or burning that can occur a few days before a shingles outbreak, people experience different symptoms depending on where their band of shingles are located.

For example, if you develop shingles on your face, facial paralysis, hearing loss or even blindness can occur. In some rare instances, the brain can become inflamed, which can be potentially fatal. Experts recommend visiting your doctor or an urgent care clinic if you develop blisters on your face to help prevent any permanent damage to your eyesight.

Aside from the blisters that tend to scab over within a few days, people with shingles can experience nausea, fever, chills, vomiting, headache and sensitivity to light.

In a 2018 interview, Dr. John Murray, an emergency physician in Ontario and B.C., told Yahoo Canada that one of the common complications of shingles is a secondary infection.

"Anytime there's a break in your skin, you can get a secondary bacterial infection," he explained at the time. "People can get really sick, febrile and needing intravenous antibiotics.”

Can shingles cause weight loss?

Some people, like Moore, may experience weight loss during or following a shingles flare-up. According to the U.S. National Institute on Aging, people with shingles can experience pain called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) after the shingles rash has disappeared. In addition to weight loss, PHN can cause depression, trouble sleeping and anxiety. Although it may lessen over time, speak to your doctor if you have lingering pain after a shingles flare-up.

What triggers a shingles flare-up? Can stress cause shingles?

While some people may only experience shingles once, others may experience multiple shingles outbreaks over the course of their lifetime.

According to experts, certain medications, a compromised immune system or stress can all contribute to a shingles flare-up.

"I've had patients with shingles who are older and who have had a recent death in family, the loss of a spouse; they’re under emotional or psychological stress," Dr. Michael Curry, a Vancouver-based medical doctor told Yahoo Canada in 2018. "I've seen that many times. However it [shingles] begins we don’t fully understand, but we know that emotional or psychological stress has an impact on the physical health of the body as well."

How is shingles treated?

Although a shingles outbreak can last from three to five weeks, your doctor can prescribe an anti-viral medication that can help shorten the length of your illness. These anti-viral medications work best when taken at the first sign of outbreak, and can help prevent any long-term side effects of the virus, like long-term nerve pain, known as postherpetic neuralgia.

Aside from anti-virals, your doctor may prescribe pain medication or lotions to help ease the shingles rash itself.

Is shingles contagious?

Shingles (herpes zoster) is not contagious, but the virus that causes it, varicella-zoster, can be. Although the risk of transmission is low, a person can become infected with the varicella-zoster virus by making direct contact with the fluid inside a shingles blister.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the varicella-zoster virus can be transmitted from a person with shingles to a person who hasn't had chicken pox before or has never had the chicken pox vaccine. If they become infected with the varicella-zoster virus, they'll develop the chicken pox — not shingles.

Once they then overcome chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus will remain inactive in their bodies, which means they could later develop shingles.

Keeping your shingles rash covered and frequently washing your hands can help prevent transmission of the varicella-zoster virus.

Can you prevent shingles?

There is only one shingles vaccine, Shingrix, approved for use in Canada. Health Canada recommends that individuals over the age of 50 be vaccinated against shingles, even if they've experienced a shingles flare-up before.

You should talk to your health-care provider about which vaccine is right for you based on your personal medical history.

With files from Gail Johnson.

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