Shingles

The first signs of shingles can be:

• a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin

• a headache or feeling generally unwell

The manifestation of a rash typically occurs a few days later, and in uncommon instances, shingles can induce pain even in the absence of a rash.

The shingles rash commonly emerges on the chest and abdomen, though it has the potential to appear anywhere on the body, such as the face, eyes, and genitals.

This rash presents itself as blotches on the skin, typically confined to one side of the body. The likelihood of shingles is low if a rash appears on both the left and right sides of the body.

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

Do not:

• let dressings or plasters stick to the rash

• wear clothes with rough fibres that can irritate your skin

Do:

• 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 a wet cloth) a few times a day

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

• babies less than 1 month old

Our pharmacists can:

• offer medicine to help speed up your recovery from shingles, if necessary

• recommend other treatments to help relieve pain, such as painkillers, steroid tablets or medicines that help with nerve pain