The virus is spread through direct contact with the rash or through breathing in virus particles that get mixed in the air. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or if pain persists after the rash is gone post-herpetic neuralgia. Shingles usually starts as a rash on one side of the face or body. The rash starts as blisters that scab after seven to ten days.
The rash usually clears within two to four weeks. Before the rash develops, there is often pain, itching, or tingling in the area where the rash will develop. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach.
The virus lies dormant in someone who has had chickenpox in the past. It can reactivate many years later. Shingles is not usually dangerous to healthy individuals although it can cause great misery during an attack.
Anyone with shingles on the upper half of their face, no matter how mild, should seek medical care at once because of the risk of damage to the eye.
Very rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation encephalitis or death. Although there is no cure, shingles can be prevented and treated. If you think you might have shingles, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Learn more about shingles. Share on Social Media Copy and paste these messages into social media to help spread the word about shingles: Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. You can get it at any age, but your risk increases as you get older.
Once infected, the person will develop chickenpox, however, not shingles. Chickenpox can be dangerous for some people. Until your shingles blisters scab over, you are contagious and should avoid physical contact with anyone who hasn't yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, especially people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.
Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can develop shingles. Most adults in the United States had chickenpox when they were children, before the advent of the routine childhood vaccination that now protects against chickenpox.
Studies suggest that Shingrix offers protection against shingles for more than five years. Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine made of a virus component. It is given in two doses, with months between doses. Shingrix is approved and recommended for people age 50 and older, including those who've previously received the Zostavax vaccine or had shingles.
The most common side effects of either shingles vaccine are redness, pain, tenderness, swelling and itching at the injection site, and headaches. The shingles vaccine doesn't guarantee that you won't get shingles. But this vaccine will likely reduce the course and severity of the disease and reduce your risk of postherpetic neuralgia.
The shingles vaccine is used only as a prevention strategy. It's not intended to treat people who currently have the disease. Talk to your doctor about which option is right for you. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.
Shingles Open pop-up dialog box Close. Shingles Shingles is characterized by pain or a tingling sensation in a limited area on one side of the face or torso, followed by a red rash with small, fluid-filled blisters. 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.
Symptoms of shingles An episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks. Early symptoms In some cases, shingles may cause some early prodromal symptoms that develop a few days before the painful rash first appears. 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 Not everyone will experience these prodromal symptoms.
Pain Eventually, most people with shingles experience a localised "band" of pain in the affected area. Rash The shingles rash usually appears on one side of your body and develops on the area of skin related to the affected nerve. When to seek medical advice Shingles is not usually serious, but you should see your GP as soon as possible if you recognise the symptoms. Causes of shingles Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which is the virus that causes chickenpox.
This can happen as a 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 are 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 will weaken 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.
Catching chickenpox The blisters that develop as a result of shingles contain virus particles. Preventing the virus spreading If you have the shingles rash, do not share towels or flannels, go swimming, or play contact sports.
If you have shingles, avoid: women who are pregnant and have not 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 is your own baby, in which case your baby should have antibodies proteins that fight infection to protect them from the virus Once your blisters have dried and scabbed over, you are no longer contagious and will not need to avoid anyone.
Diagnosing shingles Your GP or pharmacist will normally be able to diagnose shingles from your symptoms and the appearance of your rash. Referral 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: they think you may have a complication of shingles , such as meningitis or encephalitis shingles is affecting one of your eyes — there is a risk you could develop permanent vision problems if the condition is not treated quickly you have a weakened immune system — particularly in severe cases or cases affecting children you are pregnant a diagnosis is not certain 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.
Who might I see? Who you are referred to will depend on your circumstances. It could be: a paediatrician a specialist in the care of babies and children if your child is affected an ophthalmologist a doctor who specialises in treating eye conditions if shingles is affecting one of your eyes your own consultant a specialist in a particular area of medicine if you have one for an existing medical condition such as HIV or AIDS.
Treating shingles There is no cure for shingles, but treatment can help ease your symptoms until the condition improves. Self-care If you develop the shingles rash, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve your symptoms, such as: keeping the rash as clean and dry as possible — this will reduce the risk of the rash becoming infected with bacteria wearing loose-fitting clothing — this may help you feel more comfortable not using topical rub-on antibiotics or adhesive dressings such as plasters — this can slow down the healing process using a non-adherent dressing a dressing that will not stick to the rash if you need to cover the blisters — this avoids passing the virus to anyone else Calamine lotion has a soothing, cooling effect on the skin and can be used to relieve the itching.
Antiviral medication As well as painkilling medication, some people with shingles may also be prescribed a course of antiviral tablets lasting 7 to 10 days. These medications cannot kill the shingles virus, but can help stop it multiplying. This may: reduce the severity of your shingles reduce how long your shingles lasts prevent complications of shingles , such as postherpetic neuralgia although the evidence for this is uncertain 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.
Side effects of antiviral medication are very uncommon, but can include: feeling sick vomiting diarrhoea abdominal tummy pain headaches dizziness Who may be prescribed antiviral medication? You may also be prescribed antiviral medication if you have: shingles that affects one of your eyes a weakened immune system moderate to severe pain a moderate to severe rash Pregnancy and 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.
Children and 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.
Painkilling medication To ease the pain caused by shingles, your GP or pharmacist may recommend painkilling medication. Paracetamol The most commonly used painkiller is paracetamol , which is available without a prescription. However, NSAIDs may not be suitable if you: have stomach, liver or kidney problems, such as a stomach ulcer , or had them in the past have asthma are pregnant or breastfeeding Ask your GP or pharmacist if you are unsure about whether you should take NSAIDs.
Opioids For more severe pain, your GP may prescribe an opioid, such as codeine. Antidepressants If you have severe pain as a result of shingles, you may be prescribed an antidepressant medicine.
Side effects of TCAs can include: constipation difficulty urinating blurred vision dry mouth weight gain drowsiness If you have shingles, you will usually be prescribed a much lower dose of TCAs than if you were being treated for depression. Anticonvulsants Anticonvulsants are most commonly used to control seizures fits caused by epilepsy , but they are also useful in relieving nerve pain.
Gabapentin is the most commonly prescribed anticonvulsants for shingles pain. Side effects of these medications can include: dizziness drowsiness increased appetite weight gain feeling sick vomiting As with antidepressants, you may need to take anticonvulsants for several weeks before you notice it working.
Complications of shingles Complications can sometimes occur as a result of shingles. Some of the main complications associated with shingles are described below.
Postherpetic neuralgia Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common complication of shingles.
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