Informational only — Not medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.

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Shingles

Shingles

infections-and-poisoning infectious
0 medicines 4 symptoms

Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the skin around it. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

Common Symptoms

Headache generally unwell high temperature (fever) burning, tingling, numbness or itchiness in an area of skin

⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.

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Medicines Commonly Used

⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.

No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.

When to See a Doctor

Ask for an urgent appointment with a doctor if you have symptoms of shingles and any of the following apply to you:

  • you are pregnant
  • you are breastfeeding and the shingles rash is on your breasts
  • the rash is on your eye or nose
  • you have changes to your vision
  • you have a severely weakened immune system, for example from chemotherapy
  • you are 17 years old or younger

Speak to a pharmacist if you have symptoms of shingles and you are 18 years old or older.

Causes

What causes shingles?

Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus.

When you get chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. It can become active again later and cause shingles if your immune system is weakened. The immune system can be weakened by stress, certain conditions, or treatments such as chemotherapy.

It is possible to have shingles more than once, but it is very rare to get it more than twice.

Who is most at risk of shingles?

You cannot spread shingles to other people. However, people can catch chickenpox from you if they have not had it before or if they have not had the chickenpox vaccine. This is because shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus.

Chickenpox can be more problematic for certain groups of people. Try to avoid:

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

If you have shingles, you are contagious until the last blister has dried and scabbed over.

Read about the shingles vaccine and find out if you are eligible.

Treatment

There is no cure for shingles, but there are ways to ease the symptoms.

A doctor or pharmacist may recommend painkillers to relieve the discomfort that shingles causes. Some people with shingles may also be prescribed antiviral tablets.

Get treatment early

See a doctor or speak to a pharmacist as soon as you notice symptoms of shingles. Starting treatment early may help reduce how severe the illness becomes and lower the risk of complications.

Prevention

Shingles can only be passed on to other people while the rash is oozing fluid (weeping). So it's best to stay off work or school if the rash is weeping and can't be covered, or until it has dried out.

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

Complications

Most people recover from shingles, but it can sometimes cause complications.

Complications can include:

  • postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that lasts several months after the shingles rash has gone
  • the rash becoming infected, which may need to be treated with antibiotics
  • eye problems, which can lead to sight loss
  • scarring or changes in skin colour after the rash has healed
  • muscle weakness

Shingles can lead to a rare condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which affects the facial nerve. This can cause weakness on one side of your face and sometimes hearing problems.