When Jana Pittman's mum phoned her daughter and stated she thought she was having a coronary heart assault and described her signs, the Olympic athlete-turned-doctor knew precisely what was unsuitable.
Jackie, 73, wasn't having a coronary heart assault, however she did have a painful virus which is able to have an effect on one in three Aussies throughout their lives - shingles.
Jana despatched her mum to her GP, who confirmed the analysis.
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Jackie additionally had different signs, together with a rash so painful she described it as "just like the worst sunburn you would ever have".
"It was fairly surprising watching mum undergo it," Pittman, 39, stated.
Jackie initially thought she had an allergy, however the ache quickly turned "insufferable".
"It was to begin with like a stabbing ache - it was on the right-hand facet and Jana stated it could possibly't be a coronary heart assault," Jackie advised 9news.com.au.
"I went to my GP. By then, I might left it a bit too lengthy. The ache actually began.
"The easiest way for me to explain it's to say other than the stabbing ache - which made it onerous for me to breathe - it is just like the worst sunburn you would ever have."
The rash was so painful she might solely put on unfastened pyjamas and as there isn't any treatment, she took ache reduction and utilized in chamomile lotion to ease the itching.
And whereas most individuals get better from the virus, for some signs dangle round.
Jackie suffered from ongoing ache for six weeks.
Nearly a 12 months later, she nonetheless has some itching within the space her rash developed.
Now the mom and daughter have teamed as much as elevate consciousness of the virus.
Pittman competed in hurdles and later bobsled, making her the primary Aussie to compete in each Summer season and Winter Olympics, earlier than finding out drugs.
She's backing a marketing campaign to assist elevate consciousness about shingles, which impacts as much as 120,000 Aussies a 12 months.
The Know Shingles web site, created by pharmaceutical firm GSK Australia, goals to bust the myths and assist folks be taught the signs.
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A GSK survey discovered solely eight per cent of Australians requested thought they had been vulnerable to getting shingles within the subsequent 12 months.
And Jackie admits she was confused in regards to the hyperlink with hen pox.
"I assumed you would solely catch shingles in the event you'd had direct contact with anyone with chickenpox," she stated.
Shingles itself is not contagious - until you have by no means had hen pox, wherein case it seems as hen pox.
Nevertheless, you possibly can't catch shingles from another person in the event you've had hen pox - which nearly each Aussie has.
It is not recognized precisely what causes it to develop.
Jackie warned folks, particularly of her age, to see their GP as quickly as attainable if they've signs.
"When you have a rash that's uncommon, go to your GP and have it checked out - possibly if I had gone earlier possibly I would not have had such an lengthy response," she stated.
Pittman, who now works in obstetrics and gynaecology on the Royal Hospital for Ladies in Randwick, needs extra folks to concentrate on the dangers, particularly if they're over 50 or immunocompromised.
"Individuals simply assume it isn't going to occur to them," she stated.
"It is actually stopping folks's lives."
The Royal Australian School of Common Practitioners (RACGP) president Karen Value backed the marketing campaign.
"Shingles is a well being situation that should be taken very critically," she stated.
"It may be an incapacitating situation, notably for individuals who develop persistent nerve ache, which might final months after the rash."
What's shingles?
Shingles is a viral an infection that causes a painful, blistering rash.
It's brought on by the identical virus as chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus.
You possibly can solely get shingles, also called herpes zoster, in case you have had hen pox.
Shingles is not contagious - besides if you have not had hen pox, wherein case it may be handed on as hen pox.
Seventy per cent of circumstances are in over-50s, in response to Australian analysis
Shingles signs
An itchy rash, with painful blisters, normally on one facet of the physique, both on the face, chest, again, stomach or pelvis.
The ache is usually described as burning, capturing or stabbing.
It may well final for weeks.
Whereas most individuals make a full restoration, in round 10 per cent of individuals, shingles may cause ongoing ache or tingling, known as post-herpetic neuralgia.