Shingles

If you have shingles symptoms, get treatment now and you may avoid permanent nerve pain. Shingles, a viral infection of the nerve roots, affects 500,000 people in the U.S each year. Most people recover from their bout, but for as many as...

Eye Shingles (Shingles)

Most people are surprised to find out that two types of herpes viruses -- the one that causes cold sores and the one that causes chickenpox -- can cause serious eye problems. Neither of these two viruses are the same virus that causes genital...

Chickenpox (Shingles)

What Is Chickenpox? Chickenpox (varicella), a viral illness characterized by a very itchy red rash, is one of the most common infectious diseases of childhood. It is usually mild in children, but adults run the risk of serious complications, suc...

Capsaicin for Shingles (Shingles)

What is capsaicin? Capsaicin is the ingredient found in different types of hot peppers, such as cayenne peppers, that makes the peppers spicy hot. You can eat it in raw or cooked peppers or as a dried powder, which you can add to f...

Shingles Treatments (Shingles)

What Are the Treatments for Shingles? Although you can take steps to shorten the duration of a shingles outbreak, the virus must often simply run its course. Postherpetic neuralgia is difficult to manage and can last months or even years, in rar...

Shingles Vaccine (Shingles)

Are you thinking about getting the shingles vaccine? Maybe you've read about the shingles vaccine in the news, or friends have talked about it. If you're over age 50, the shingles vaccine may help you avoid getting shingles. And if you've had shingle...

Shingles: What It Looks Like, Who Is at Risk

What is Shingles?Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash caused by the same virus behind chickenpox. The virus is not fully cleared from the body and remains inactive. After a latency period, it reactivates and shingles occur. The virus moves alo...

Shingles Symptoms (Shingles)

What Are the Symptoms of Shingles? The symptoms of shingles include: Pain or a bruised feeling -- usually on one side of your face or body -- often along with a fever, chills, headache, or upset stomach. Tingling, itching, or...

Related Information (Shingles)

Chest Problems Chickenpox (Varicella) Chronic Pain Immunizations Rash, Age 12 and Older Stress ...

References (Shingles)

Citations Gershon AA (2009). Varicella zoster virus. In RD Feigin et al., eds., Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 6th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2077–20...

Home Treatment (Shingles)

You may reduce the duration and pain of shingles by: Taking good care of skin sores.Avoid picking at and scratching blisters. If left alone, blisters will crust over and fall off naturally. Use cool, moist compresses if they ...

Medications (Shingles)

Medicines can help limit the pain and discomfort caused by shingles, shorten the time you have symptoms, and prevent the spread of the disease. Medicines also may reduce your chances of developing shingles complications, such as ...

When To Call a Doctor (Shingles)

If you think you have shingles, see a doctor as soon as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medicines may help reduce pain and prevent complications of shingles, such as disseminated zoster or postherpetic neuralgia. If yo...

Exams and Tests (Shingles)

Doctors can usually identify shingles when they see an area of rash around the left or right side of your body. If a diagnosis of shingles is not clear, your doctor may order lab tests, most commonly herpes tests, on cells taken ...

Treatment Overview (Shingles)

There is no cure for shingles, but treatment may shorten the length of illness and prevent complications. Treatment options include: Antiviral medicines to reduce the pain and duration of shingles. Pain medicines...

Prevention (Shingles)

Anyone who has had chickenpox may get shingles later in life. But there's a vaccine that may help prevent shingles or make it less painful if you do get it. The shingles vaccine(What is a PDF document?) is known as Zostavax. Adults ages 5...

Cause (Shingles)

Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, a type of herpes virus that causes chickenpox. After you have had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in your nerve roots and remains inactive until, in some people, it fla...

Symptoms (Shingles)

When the virus that causes chickenpox reactivates, it causes shingles. Early symptoms of shingles include headache, sensitivity to light, and flu-like symptoms without a fever. You may then feel itching, tingling, or pain where a band...

What Happens (Shingles)

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After an attack of chickenpox, the virus remains in the tissues in your nerves. As you get older, or if you have an illness or stress that weakens your immune system, th...

What Increases Your Risk (Shingles)

Things that increase risk for developing shingles include: Having had chickenpox. You must have had chickenpox to get shingles. Being older than 50. Having a weakened immune system due to another disease...

Topic Overview (Shingles)

What is shingles? Shingles is a painful skin rash . It is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Shingles usually appears in a band, a strip, or a small area on one side of the face or body. It is also called herpes zoster. Shingle...

Health Tools (Shingles)

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems. Shingles: Should...