Within the next 1 to 5 days, a red rash will normally form around the sensitive area. A few days later, fluid-filled blisters will develop at the site of the rash. The blisters will ooze before drying up, typically within 10 days of appearing. At this point, scabs will form on the skin, tending to heal within 2 weeks. It should be noted that shingles symptoms range from mild to severe, with some people experiencing itching and mild discomfort and others having intense pain. Most cases of shingles resolve without causing long-term effects.
However, potential complications include:. Post-herpetic neuropathy PHN is a common complication of shingles. It refers to nerve damage that causes pain and burning that persists after the shingles infection is gone. Some sources suggest that up to 20 percent of people who get shingles develop PHN with older adults thought to be especially at risk.
Treating PHN is difficult, and the symptoms can last for years. However, most people fully recover within 12 months. It is not known why some people who have shingles go on to develop PHN. The risk factors for PHN include:. According to some research , older women who get severe pain and rash symptoms may have a 50 percent chance of developing PHN. The National Institute on Aging recommend that people seek medical treatment no later than 3 days after the rash appears.
Early treatment can limit pain, help the rash heal quicker, and may reduce scarring. These ease symptoms, speed up recovery, and may prevent complications.
A course of antiviral medications is usually prescribed for 7 to 10 days. Options include:. Antiviral drugs are most effective when taken within 3 days of the rash onset, although they may still be prescribed within the first 7 days of the rash appearing.
Over-the-counter OTC or prescription medications may reduce pain and skin irritation. It is caused by damaged nerve fibers that send exaggerated pain messages from your skin to your brain.
The older you are, the more likely you are to develop PHN. It is also likely to be more severe when you are older. Shingles can also lead to an eye condition called herpes zoster ophthalmicus HZO.
HZO can cause a rash with small blisters to break out on the forehead and around the eye. Usually this happens only on one side of your face. Sometimes you will have pain in the same area of your face a few days before the outbreak. Infection of the eye causes extreme pain, swelling of the eyelid, light sensitivity and redness. In severe cases, the cornea can be damaged. This can affect your vision. This article was contributed by: familydoctor.
This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Chickenpox is highly contagious and can be very serious. Beginning at 12 months old, almost everyone should have the…. Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It once was a common childhood disease until a…. Herpes is a group of viruses that cause blisters and sores. They usually appear near your mouth or on….
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Antiviral medications may speed the healing of skin lesions and reduce the severity and duration of pain. They're most effective when started within 72 hours of the first appearance of a rash, so if you have signs of shingles, see your healthcare provider right away. If you don't begin treatment with an antiviral drug within 72 hours, it still may be helpful to take one.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Antiviral drugs for treating shingles:. Acyclovir tends to be the least expensive of these antivirals, but it must be taken more frequently than other options. The pain of PHN can be excruciating and often interferes with quality of life.
Your doctor may prescribe medication that is used to treat neuropathic pain and that you can take every day for months or longer. Over-the-counter pain treatments may be effective for controlling your pain or may be recommended along with prescription pain medication. Wear disposable gloves when applying capsaicin. Take care not to touch your eyes or any areas with broken or sensitive skin. In addition to triggering the uncomfortable rash, shingles can cause symptoms that are similar to those of other viral infections.
While prescription and over-the-counter drugs can help, one of the most important things you can do while dealing with it is to take good care of yourself. If you're caring for someone else who has shingles, lavish them with TLC. Some specific strategies can help ease the pain:. If you're open to trying a non-traditional approach to treating shingles pain, consider talking to your healthcare provider about transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TEN.
This therapy involves applying harmless levels of electricity to stimulate the skin, which can provide relief by interfering with the transmission of pain signals.
Although other alternative treatments for shingles have been considered, none have been researched enough to be considered viable. Among these are proteolytic enzymes, which are produced naturally by the pancreas to help digest protein from the diet.
They also are found in certain foods, such as papaya and pineapple. Supplements derived from papaya called papain , pineapple called bromelain , and from the animal pancreas can be found online, in health food stores, and in some grocery and drugstores. They are often marketed as digestive enzyme supplements. In a German study of people with shingles, half took proteolytic enzymes for 14 days and the other half took acyclovir. Both groups experienced similar pain relief and skin improvement, with the exception of skin redness, which showed greater improvement with the acyclovir treatment.
The group taking proteolytic enzymes had significantly fewer side effects. Proteolytic enzymes can have some side effects, including digestive upset and allergic reactions. If you're allergic to pineapple or papaya, avoid supplements derived from those fruits. Proteolytic enzymes, particularly bromelain and papain, should not be taken with blood-thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin warfarin as they may increase the effect of these drugs.
The proteolytic enzyme pancreatin also may interfere with the absorption of the vitamin folate. Given that there's so little evidence that proteolytic enzymes are truly helpful in relieving shingles symptoms and that they can have side effects, you should check with your healthcare provider before taking them to treat shingles.
It depends on the individual case. Shingles symptoms typically last about three to five weeks. If antiviral treatment is started as soon as possible after symptoms begin, it can reduce the pain and shorten healing time. Antiviral medications can also reduce the risk of PHN, which can cause chronic pain for months or years. You can't catch shingles from another person who has shingles or chickenpox, but the virus that causes shingles can cause chickenpox in people who haven't had chickenpox before or been vaccinated against it.
The fluid from the blisters can spread the virus to others. Shingles in the eye is a serious form of shingles. It could lead to vision loss or other long-term complications.
Shingles, or herpes zoster, occurs when the dormant chickenpox virus is reactivated in nerve tissues. Early symptoms include tingling and pain. Chickenpox can last 2 to 3 weeks, but what about shingles, its adult counterpart? Here's what you need to know. Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
Learn more here. A doctor and a holistic expert weigh in on whether essential oils can ease symptoms of shingles. Learn more about traditional and alternative…. This can lead to vision or hearing complications. Learn about symptoms, treatments, and more. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Natural remedies for shingles. Healing baths. Share on Pinterest. Wet, cool compress. Baking soda and cornstarch paste. Soothing lotions and creams. Dietary remedies.
Homeopathic or herbal remedies. The takeaway. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Femi Aremu, PharmD. Is Shingles Contagious?
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