What do shingles feel like at first

Learn about the side effects of…. Shingles pain can last for a few days to up to a month or longer. We'll discuss why. Once reactivated, the virus spreads to your skin by traveling down your nerves. Where your rash appears depends on which nerve the virus travels.

Learn to how to tell shingles vs. Anthropophobia is a fear of people. Typically, a fear of people is associated with…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Early Symptoms of Shingles. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Who develops shingles First symptoms Early symptoms Next symptoms Treatments Contagion Health complications After shingles Prevention We include products we think are useful for our readers. What is shingles? Can anyone develop shingles? The first symptoms of shingles.

Other early symptoms of shingles. What shingles symptoms come next? What treatments are there for shingles? Am I contagious if I have shingles? What are the health complications? Life after shingles. Prevention is better than treatment. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, M. What Does Shingles Look Like? Medically reviewed by University of Illinois. 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.

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. But you should be referred to a specialist, as you may need antiviral treatment.

But you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had chickenpox before. When people get chickenpox, the virus remains in the body. It can be reactivated later and cause shingles if someone's immune system is lowered. This can be because of stress, certain conditions, or treatments like chemotherapy. A shingles vaccine is available on the NHS for people in their 70s.

It helps reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you get shingles after being vaccinated, the symptoms can be much milder. Find out more about who can have the shingles vaccine. Page last reviewed: 01 July Next review due: 01 July Check if you have shingles 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 appear a few days later.