The pain results from nerve involvement, rather than the rash itself. Some people have pain but no rash. Others may have a rash with pain that is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever , chills, or headache. Some of the most common symptoms of shingles include :.
A blistering skin rash may appear in one or more distinct bands with sensory nerves of the skin, called dermatomes. If the rash affects the face, symptoms usually appear on one side only — usually around one eye and the forehead. If the virus affects an ophthalmic nerve, it means that a person has herpes zoster ophthalmicus HZO.
This can cause pain, redness, and swelling in and around the eye, as well as temporary or permanent loss of vision.
Shingles can also occur in or around the ear, leading to problems with balance and hearing, as well as muscle weakness on the affected side of the face. A person who develops symptoms in or around the ears and eyes should seek immediate medical attention to reduce the risk of complications.
If shingles affects the mouth, a person may experience:. Shingles can also affect the internal organs. There will not be a rash, but other problems can arise.
For example, researchers have found evidence of shingles in the digestive system, which can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, and in the arteries in the brain, which may increase the risk of stroke and dementia. There may also be other symptoms, including :.
Shingles usually lasts around 2—4 weeks. It is contagious until the blisters dry up and crust over. Getting treatment shortly after the onset of symptoms can help decrease the duration and severity of infection. This is especially important for people over 60 and those who have a weakened immune system , as this could increase the risk of developing serious complications.
If the rash continues spreading to other parts of the body or other symptoms occur, such as high fever , it is best to consult with a doctor. Additionally, those who develop a rash near the eye should seek immediate medical attention, as this can be a sign of HZO.
The condition can cause scarring, vision loss, and permanent eye damage if left untreated. A doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to stop the virus from multiplying. To relieve itching , the CDC recommends:. Calamine lotion is available for purchase online. Learn more home remedies for itching here.
Most people will recover with home treatment, but a person should seek medical help if other symptoms appear, such as a fever. Shingles results from VZV, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the sensory ganglia of their cranial nerve or the dorsal root ganglia within the peripheral nervous system.
VZV belongs to a group of viruses called herpes viruses. All herpes viruses can hide in the nervous system, where they can remain indefinitely in a latent state. Under the right conditions, the herpes zoster virus can reactivate, similarly to waking up from hibernation, and travel down nerve fibers to cause a new active infection. What triggers this is not usually clear, but it may happen when something weakens the immune system, prompting the virus to reactivate.
It is not possible to directly transmit shingles to another person. However, a person who has never had chickenpox can contract the virus by coming into direct contact with the fluid in the blisters of a person who currently has shingles. If this happens, and the person has not received a vaccination against chickenpox, they would develop chickenpox first, not shingles.
Don't share any cloths, towels or flannels if you have the shingles rash. As well as painkilling medication, some people with shingles may also be prescribed a course of antiviral tablets lasting 7 to 10 days.
Commonly prescribed antiviral medicines include aciclovir, valaciclovir and famciclovir. Antiviral medicines are most effective when taken within 72 hours of your rash appearing, although they may be started up to a week after your rash appears if you are at risk of severe shingles or developing complications.
If you are over 50 years of age and have symptoms of shingles , it is likely you will be prescribed an antiviral medication. If you are pregnant and have shingles, it is likely your GP will discuss your case with a specialist to decide whether the benefits of antiviral medication significantly outweigh any possible risks.
Shingles will not harm your unborn baby. If you are under 50 years of age, you are at less risk of developing complications from shingles anyway, so you may not need antiviral medication. Antiviral medication is not usually necessary for otherwise healthy children because they usually only experience mild symptoms of shingles and have a small risk of developing complications.
However, if your child has a weakened immune system, they may need to be admitted to hospital to receive antiviral medication directly into a vein intravenously. To ease the pain caused by shingles, your GP or pharmacist may recommend painkilling medication. Some of the main medications used to relieve pain associated with shingles are described below.
The most commonly used painkiller is paracetamol , which is available without a prescription. Always read the manufacturer's instructions to make sure the medicine is suitable and you are taking the correct dose. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen , are an alternative type of painkilling medicine also available without a prescription.
For more severe pain, your GP may prescribe an opioid, such as codeine. This is a stronger type of painkiller sometimes prescribed alongside paracetamol. Occasionally, your GP may consider seeking specialist advice before prescribing an even stronger opioid, such as morphine. If you have severe pain as a result of shingles, you may be prescribed an antidepressant medicine. These medications are commonly used to treat depression , but they have also proven to be useful in relieving nerve pain, such as the pain associated with shingles.
The antidepressants most often used to treat shingles pain are known as tricyclic antidepressants TCAs. Examples of TCAs most commonly prescribed for people with shingles are amitriptyline, imipramine and nortriptyline. If you have shingles, you will usually be prescribed a much lower dose of TCAs than if you were being treated for depression.
This will usually be a tablet to take at night. Your dose may be increased until your pain settles down. It may take several weeks before you start to feel the antidepressants working, although this is not always the case. Anticonvulsants are most commonly used to control seizures fits caused by epilepsy , but they are also useful in relieving nerve pain.
As with antidepressants, you may need to take anticonvulsants for several weeks before you notice it working. If your pain does not improve, your dose may be gradually increased until your symptoms are effectively managed. Complications can sometimes occur as a result of shingles. They are more likely if you have a weakened immune system the body's natural defence system or are elderly. Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common complication of shingles. It's not clear exactly how many people are affected, but some estimates suggest that as many as one in five people over 50 could develop postherpetic neuralgia as the result of shingles.
Postherpetic neuralgia can cause severe nerve pain neuralgia and intense itching that persists after the rash and any other symptoms of shingles have gone. Postherpetic neuralgia sometimes resolves after around three to six months, although it can last for years and some cases can be permanent.
It can be treated with a number of different painkilling medicines. If one of your eyes is affected by shingles ophthalmic shingles , there is a risk you could develop further problems in the affected eye, such as:. If not treated promptly, there is a risk that ophthalmic shingles could cause a degree of permanent vision loss. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a complication that can occur if shingles affects certain nerves in your head.
In the US, Ramsay Hunt syndrome is estimated to affect 5 in , people every year and it may affect a similar number of people in the UK. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is usually treated with antiviral medication, corticosteroids and painkilling medication. The earlier treatment is started, the better the outcome. Around three-quarters of people given antiviral medication within 72 hours of the start of their symptoms usually make a complete recovery.
Those who don't make a full recovery may be left with permanent problems, such as a degree of permanent facial paralysis or hearing loss. A number of other possible problems can also sometimes develop as a result of shingles, including:. Shingles is rarely life threatening, but complications such as those mentioned above mean that around 1 in every 1, cases in adults over the age of 70 is fatal.
Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Shingles. Shingles See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About shingles 2.
Symptoms of shingles 3. Causes of shingles 4. Diagnosing shingles 5. Treating shingles 6. Complications of shingles. About shingles Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is an infection of a nerve and the skin around it. Symptoms of shingles The main symptom of shingles is pain, followed by a rash that develops into itchy blisters , similar in appearance to chickenpox.
These early symptoms can include: a headache burning, tingling, numbness or itchiness of the skin in the affected area a feeling of being generally unwell a high temperature fever An episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks, however in some cases the pain may last for many weeks once the rash has disappeared.
When to get professional advice. Non-urgent advice: Speak to a pharmacist. Pharmacy First Scotland: Shingles treatment from your local pharmacy Adults 18 years and over with symptoms of shingles can get advice and treatment directly from a pharmacy. Referral to hospital It's uncommon for someone with shingles to be referred to hospital, but your GP may consider seeking specialist advice if: they suspect a complication of shingles , such as meningitis or encephalitis shingles is affecting one of your eyes — there's a risk you could develop permanent vision problems if the condition isn't treated quickly a diagnosis isn't certain you have an unusually persistent case of shingles that's not responding to treatment you've been diagnosed with the condition more than twice you're pregnant you have a weakened immune system — particularly in severe cases or cases affecting children Causes of shingles Most people have chickenpox in childhood, but after the illness has gone, the varicella-zoster virus remains dormant inactive in the nervous system.
It's possible to have shingles more than once, but it's very rare to get it more than twice. This may be the result of: old age — as you age, your immunity may decrease, and shingles most commonly occurs in people over 70 years old physical and emotional stress — the chemicals released by your body when you're stressed can prevent your immune system working properly HIV and AIDS — people with HIV are much more likely to get shingles than the rest of the population because their immune system is weak recently having a bone marrow transplant — the conditioning you require before the transplant weakens your immune system recently having an organ transplant — you may need to take medication to suppress your immune system so your body accepts the donated organ chemotherapy — chemotherapy medication, often used to treat cancer , can temporarily weaken your immune system However, young people who appear otherwise healthy can also sometimes develop shingles.
Is shingles contagious? Preventing the spread of the virus If you have shingles, you're contagious until the last blister has dried and scabbed over. If you have shingles, avoid: women who are pregnant and haven't had chickenpox before as they could catch it from you, which may harm their unborn baby people who have a weak immune system, such as someone with HIV or AIDS babies less than one month old, unless it's your own baby, in which case your baby should have antibodies proteins that fight infection to protect them from the virus Treating shingles Although there's no cure for shingles, treatment is available to relieve the symptoms until the condition resolves.
Treatment for shingles can include: covering the rash with clothing or a non-adherent non-stick dressing to reduce the risk of other people becoming infected with chickenpox - as it's very difficult to pass the virus on to someone else if the rash is covered painkilling medication, - such as paracetamol , ibuprofen or codeine antiviral medication to stop the virus multiplying - although not everyone will need this Read more about treating shingles Complications of shingles Shingles can sometimes lead to complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia.
Read more about the complications of shingles The shingles vaccine It's not always possible to prevent shingles, but a vaccine called Zostavax can reduce your chances of developing the condition. Read more about shingles vaccination Ophthalmic shingles Some cases of shingles can affect one of the eyes and are known as ophthalmic shingles.
Symptoms can include: a rash over your forehead, nose and around your eye conjunctivitis — inflammation of your eye that causes it to become red and watery with a sticky coating on your eyelashes a red eye problems with your vision. However, you can have shingles more than once. If you have shingles, direct contact with the fluid from your rash blisters can spread VZV to people who have never had chickenpox or never received the chickenpox vaccine.
If they get infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles. They could then develop shingles later in life. The risk of spreading VZV to others is low if you cover the shingles rash. People with shingles cannot spread the virus before their rash blisters appear or after the rash crusts. Also see Treating Shingles. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Shingles Herpes Zoster.
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