1 Shingles in caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox-varicella-zoster virus. 2  Shingles is a painful infection of the nerve supplying an area of skin and is accompanied by a localised skin rash. 3  Older people and those with a weakened immune system are at greater risk for developing shingles.
Hearing loss, also known as hard of hearing, anacusis or hearing impairment, is a partial or total inability to hear. It may occur in one or both ears. In children hearing problems can affect the ability to learn language and in adults it can cause work related difficulties.
Some people have partial hearing loss, meaning that the ear can pick up some sounds; others have complete hearing loss, meaning that the ear cannot hear at all (people with complete hearing loss are considered deaf). In some types of hearing loss, a person can have much more trouble when there is background noise. One or both ears may be affected, and the impairment may be worse in one ear than in the other. The timing of the hearing loss can vary, too. Congenital hearing loss is present at birth.