SINGAPORE – A small red dot on his left eyelid almost cost veteran local actor Richard Low his sight.

In 2013, the 73-year-old recalled first noticing the small spot while washing his face. Assuming it was an insect bite, he paid it little attention.

But the next day, it grew bigger. When he was about to go on vacation to Guangzhou, China, Low decided to see a doctor, who gave him the green light to continue his trip.

“The red spot soon turned into a rash and began to spread upwards to my forehead,” said Low, who immediately went to a hospital in Guangzhou, where he was diagnosed with shingles.

He was sharing his brush with

with The Straits Times on March 7 in DS Connect #1. The event, organized by non-profit organization Diabetes Singapore and healthcare company GSK, was held in conjunction with Shingles Action Week 2026, which aims to raise awareness about the risks of shingles, especially among adults aged 50 and over.

Low was joined by fellow actors Chen Shucheng and Zhu Houren, known collectively as OG Gang on social media.

Low remembered how they told him According to the Guangzhou doctor, he could have suffered permanent eye damage if the rash had spread to the eye region.

“I was so scared… the rash turned into blisters. Even though there was no pus, the blisters started bleeding,” the actor added.

He received intravenous treatment for two consecutive days in the hospital, with each session lasting between two and three hours. The treatment helped control the spread of the infection and he was then able to continue his holiday.

Shingles, also known as shingles, is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. A symptom of shingles is usually intense, burning nerve-related pain, which can sometimes last for weeks.

Low said he was “very lucky” that he only felt itchy around the affected area and didn’t feel any pain. But even today you occasionally feel some tightness and a tingling sensation around your left eye, especially if you have been in the sun for too long.

“It’s been more than 10 years and I still feel the lingering effect, but fortunately I don’t feel any pain,” he said.

“I later learned that my friend had a similar condition, also rashes on his face, but he suffered pain for over a year,” Low shared, adding that his friend did not seek medical attention until much later.

Doctors recommend that shingles sufferers seek treatment within 72 hours of the first symptoms appearing to reduce pain and shorten the period of infection.

Unlike Low, Chen, 76, felt immense pain when he had shingles more than a decade ago.

“I didn’t think much about it at the time. I felt fatigued and had a fever. I had been working non-stop, so I thought it was just the flu,” Chen said.

When he noticed rashes around his torso, he thought it was a skin infection, and it was only at his wife’s urging that he went to see a doctor.

Chen described the pain as if he had been bitten by thousands of red ants and had difficulty sleeping. He recovered after about three weeks.

Among the OG Gang trio, Zhu, 71, is the only one who has been saved so far, but admitted that he is “afraid” of contracting shingles.

Chen joked that it is only a matter of time before Zhu contracts it, as he has had a chickenpox infection before.

According to a March 9 report According to the University Health Center at the National University of Singapore, it is estimated that between 80 and 85 percent of adults would have had chickenpox and 20 percent of these people would later develop shingles. It is estimated that Singapore has around 30,000 new cases of shingles each year.

While the incidence of shingles increases among people aged 50 and older and increases more sharply after age 60, younger people are not immune to it.

Zhu told how her daughter-in-law, who is in her 30s and married to her eldest son, filmmaker Jonathan Choo, was diagnosed with shingles in April 2025, a month before giving birth to her first child.

He had noticed small red spots on his neck and quickly sought medical attention. She worked closely with her obstetrician, who prescribed medications that were safe for pregnant women, and she recovered within a week.

“The rash did not spread and she did not feel pain either,” Zhu said.

Chen reflected, “Having shingles taught me not to be stubborn and seek medical attention as soon as possible. It is very normal for us older people to simply endure any discomfort or try to self-medicate instead of consulting a doctor.”

He added: “That’s why I always tell my colleagues now to seek help quickly if they feel like they are suffering from something. As we get older, our immune system is not as strong.”

Zhu emphasized, “That’s why we need to make sure we stay active to stay healthy. I’m also very kiasu; I go to the doctor whenever I think I’m not feeling well.”