Suffering from shingles pain? Join a Web chat Wednesday with a doctor who can help

More than 1 million people each year suffer an outbreak of shingles. The itching or burning pain that accompanies a rash or blisters can last as long as a year.

Dr. Paul Christo, director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship Training Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will take questions during a live Web chat Wednesday (noon EST, 11 a.m. CST and 9 a.m. PST). Christo will discuss how to cope with pain and problems related to the virus most commonly associated with chicken pox.

Senior citizens seem more at risk of an outbreak. Here’s information on the vaccine that the Food and Drug Administration recommends for people 60 and older. And here are symptoms and causes of shingles from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Join the online discussion to learn more about this virus that affects so many.