For some people, the symptoms of shingles are mild. They might just have some itching. For others, shingles can cause intense pain that can be felt from the gentlest touch or breeze. If you notice blisters on your face, see your doctor right away because this is an urgent problem. Blisters near or in the eye can cause lasting eye damage and blindness.
Hearing loss , a brief paralysis of the face, or, very rarely, inflammation of the brain encephalitis can also occur. If you think you might have shingles, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will confirm whether you have shingles and can make a treatment plan. Most cases can be diagnosed from a visual examination, but the doctor may order a shingles test if you have a condition that weakens the immune system. Although there is no cure for shingles, early treatment with antiviral medications can help the blisters clear up faster and limit severe pain.
Shingles can often be treated at home. After the shingles rash goes away, some people may be left with ongoing pain called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Shingles Herpes Zoster. Section Navigation.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Shingles can sometimes lead to complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia. This is where severe nerve pain lasts for several months or more after the rash has gone. Complications such as this are usually in elderly people who have had the condition and those with a weakened immune system. Read more about the complications of shingles. It's not always possible to prevent shingles, but a vaccine called Zostavax can reduce your chances of developing the condition.
If you still develop shingles after having this vaccine, it may be milder and last for a shorter time than usual. Read more about shingles vaccination. This vaccine's now routinely offered in Scotland as a single injection to people aged Some cases of shingles can affect one of the eyes and are known as ophthalmic shingles.
This occurs when the virus is reactivated in part of the trigeminal nerve, a nerve that controls sensation and movement in your face. An episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks.
The main symptoms are pain, followed by a rash. Any part of your body can be affected, including your face and eyes, although the chest and abdomen tummy are the most common areas where shingles develops. In some cases, shingles may cause some early prodromal symptoms that develop a few days before the painful rash first appears. Not everyone will experience these prodromal symptoms. A high temperature is particularly uncommon.
Eventually, most people with shingles experience a localised "band" of pain in the affected area. The pain can be a constant, dull or burning sensation and its intensity can vary from mild to severe. Pain is less common in young healthy people and is rare in children.
It usually starts a few days before the rash appears and can remain for a few days or weeks after the rash has healed.
The shingles rash usually appears on one side of your body and develops on the area of skin related to the affected nerve. Initially, the shingles rash appears as red blotches on your skin before developing into itchy blisters similar in appearance to chickenpox. Scabs then form where the blisters were, which may leave some slight scarring.
It usually takes two to four weeks for the rash to heal completely. Shingles is not usually serious, but you should see your GP as soon as possible if you recognise the symptoms.
You should also see your GP if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system the body's natural defence system and you think you have been exposed to someone with chickenpox or shingles and haven't had chickenpox before. Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which is the virus that causes chickenpox. After you have had chickenpox , the varicella-zoster virus lies dormant inactive inside your body.
It can become reactivated at a later stage and cause shingles. It is not known exactly why the virus is reactivated, but it is linked to having lowered immunity protection against infection and diseases. Your immunity to illness and infection can become lowered if there is a problem with your immune system the body's natural defence system. This can happen as a result of:.
It is not possible to catch shingles from someone else with the condition, or from someone with chickenpox. However, it is possible for someone who has never had chickenpox to catch it from someone with shingles, as the shingles blisters contains the live virus. In the UK, chickenpox is so common during childhood that 9 out of 10 adults have already had it and will not be at risk from someone with shingles.
The blisters that develop as a result of shingles contain virus particles. If you have not had chickenpox before, you can catch it from direct contact with the fluid from the blisters of someone who has shingles, or from something that has the fluid on it, such as bed sheets or a towel.
If you have shingles, you are contagious until the last blister has scabbed over. This will usually occur after about 10 to 14 days. If you have the shingles rash, do not share towels or flannels, go swimming, or play contact sports. This will help prevent the virus being passed on to someone who has not had chickenpox. You should also avoid work or school if your rash is weeping oozing fluid and cannot be covered.
Once your blisters have dried and scabbed over, you are no longer contagious and will not need to avoid anyone. Your GP or pharmacist will normally be able to diagnose shingles from your symptoms and the appearance of your rash. Testing is not usually necessary. It is uncommon for someone with shingles to be referred to a specialist for further assessment and treatment, but your GP may consider seeking specialist advice or referring you if:.
You may also be referred to a specialist if you have an unusually persistent case of suspected shingles that is not responding to treatment, or if you have been diagnosed with the condition more than twice. There is no cure for shingles, but treatment can help ease your symptoms until the condition improves. In many cases, shingles gets better within around two to four weeks.
However, it's still important to see your GP or pharmacist as soon as possible if you recognise the symptoms of shingles, as early treatment may help reduce the severity of the condition and the risk of potential complications.
If you develop the shingles rash, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve your symptoms, such as:. Calamine lotion has a soothing, cooling effect on the skin and can be used to relieve the itching. Zostavax is a live vaccine, which contains a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus. While side effects such as allergic reactions are possible from these vaccines, the CDC has no documented cases of the varicella-zoster virus being transmitted from people who were vaccinated.
Ideally, you should be treated within 72 hours of developing symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe medications to ease symptoms and shorten the length of the infection.
Shingles typically clears up within a few weeks and rarely recurs. If your symptoms have not lessened within 10 days, you should call your doctor for a follow-up and reevaluation. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. The reason why shingles develops in some people but not others is unclear. Possible risk factors for shingles include :. Most shingles cases last from 2 to 4 weeks. Within about 5 days, you may see a red rash in that area.
Small groups of oozing, fluid-filled blisters may appear a few days later in the same area. You may experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever, headache, or fatigue.
During the next 10 days or so, the blisters will dry up and form scabs. The scabs will clear after a couple of weeks. After the scabs clear, some people continue to experience pain. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. Some people with shingles only experience mild symptoms, such as tingling or itchy skin. For others, it can be very painful.
Even a gentle breeze can cause pain. Some people experience intense pain without developing a rash. To help relieve the pain, your doctor may prescribe medications such as antiviral or anti-inflammation medications. A study found that shingles pain may be due to our immune mechanisms changing how our sensory neurons work after being triggered by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus.
Home treatment can help ease your shingles symptoms. These remedies include :. The varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles is not airborne.
The only way the virus is contagious is if you come into direct contact with an oozing blister of someone who has shingles. While getting shingles during pregnancy is unusual, it is possible.
If you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox or an active shingles infection, you can develop chickenpox if you have not been vaccinated or if you have never had it before. Getting a chickenpox vaccine before pregnancy can be an important step in protecting your child.
Shingles is less likely to cause complications during pregnancy, but it can still be unpleasant. See your doctor right away if you develop any rash during pregnancy. Find out more about shingles and pregnancy. Antiviral medications that treat shingles can be used safely during your pregnancy.
Antihistamines can also help reduce itching, and acetaminophen Tylenol can reduce pain. Most cases of shingles can be diagnosed with a physical examination of rashes and blisters. Your doctor will also ask questions about your medical history. In rare instances, your doctor may need to test a sample of your skin or the fluid from your blisters.
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