Shingles

Symptoms

The first signs of shingles can be:

• a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin
• a headache or feeling generally unwell

A rash will usually appear a few days later. In rare cases shingles can cause pain without a rash.

Usually you get the shingles rash on your chest and tummy, but it can appear anywhere on your body including on your face, eyes and genitals.

The rash appears as blotches on your skin, on 1 side of your body only. A rash on both the left and right of your body is unlikely to be shingles.

How long shingles lasts:

It can take up to 4 weeks for the shingles rash to heal.

Your skin can be painful for weeks after the rash has gone, but it usually gets better over time.​

Causes

You cannot get shingles from someone with shingles or chickenpox.

But you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had chickenpox before.

When people get chickenpox, the virus stays in the body. It can be reactivated later and cause shingles if someone's immune system is weakened.

This can be because of stress, certain conditions, or treatments like chemotherapy.

Treatment Options

Treatment for shingles depends on how severe your symptoms are and whether you're at risk of complications.

If you have a mild rash you may not need any treatment.

You may be offered medicine (antiviral tablets) to help speed up your recovery from shingles if:

• you have a weakened immune system
• your pain or your rash is moderate or severe
• the rash is affecting other areas of your body apart from your chest, tummy and back

You usually need to start taking the medicine within 3 days of your rash first appearing.

Treatment for shingles can also include medicines to help relieve pain, such as painkillers, steroid tablets or medicines that help with nerve pain.

How to help treat your shingle symptoms yourself:

If you have shingles there are things you can do to help with the symptoms:

• take paracetamol to ease pain
• keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection
• wear loose-fitting clothing
• use a cool compress (a bag of ice cubes or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel, or a wet cloth) a few times a day
• do not let dressings or plasters stick to the rash

• do not wear clothes with rough fibres that can irritate your skin
  

Prevention Tips

You cannot spread shingles to others. But people could catch chickenpox from you if they have not had chickenpox before or have not had the chickenpox vaccine.

This is because shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus.

Try to avoid:

• anyone who is pregnant and has not had chickenpox before
• people with a weakened immune system – like someone having chemotherapy
• babies less than 1 month old

Important: Stay off work or school if the rash is still oozing fluid (weeping) and cannot be covered, or until the rash has dried out.

You can only spread the infection to other people while the rash oozes fluid.

You can cover the rash with loose clothing or a non-sticky dressing.

When To See A Doctor

You should urgently see a doctor if you think you might have shingles.