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What is shingles?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection of a nerve and the skin around it, causing a painful rash with blisters. It’s caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in your nervous system and can reactivate years later as shingles.

Most people who develop shingles only experience it once, though it’s possible to have multiple episodes. The risk of developing it increases with age, particularly after 50, and in people with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms of Shingles

The condition typically affects one side of the body, often appearing as a band or strip of blisters that wraps around either the left or right side of your torso. However, shingles can also happen on other parts of the body, including the face and neck.

Recognising these symptoms early can help you promptly seek treatment for shingles, which may reduce the severity and duration of the outbreak.

The stages typically progress with:

Early symptoms – You may experience pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in a specific area, often before any rash appears
Red rash – A red shingles rash develops in the affected area, usually appearing as a band or strip
Fluid-filled blisters – Small blisters form along the rash, filled with clear fluid
Blisters burst and crust over – The blisters eventually break open and form scabs
Healing – The scabs dry up and fall off, typically within 2-4 weeks

Other common symptoms can include fever, headache, fatigue, and sensitivity to light.

What causes shingles?

Shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which has been lying dormant in your nerve roots after a previous case of chickenpox infection and becomes active again. This reactivation usually happens when your immune system is weakened due to factors such as stress, illness, certain medications, or simply getting older.

Shingles isn’t as contagious as chickenpox, but the fluid in the blisters carries the virus, which keeps shingles contagious until the blisters have crusted over. You can pass the virus to people who haven’t had chickenpox or the vaccine, although they’d develop chickenpox, not shingles.

Complications of Shingles

While most people recover from shingles without lasting effects, there can be some complications, particularly in older adults or those with weakened immune systems.

Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication, affecting up to 20% of people with shingles. This condition causes persistent nerve pain in the area where the rash has been, lasting for months or even years after the skin has healed. This severe pain can have a big effect on daily life.

When shingles affects the face, particularly around the eye area, eye complications can develop. If not treated promptly, these can lead to serious problems, including vision loss. If you get shingles near your eye, seek immediate medical attention.

Secondary bacterial infections can happen when the blisters become infected with bacteria, leading to additional complications that may require antibiotic treatment.

Other less common complications include hearing problems, facial paralysis, and, in rare cases, brain inflammation. Early treatment for shingles can help reduce the risk of developing these complications.

How to Treat Shingles

While shingles will eventually heal on its own, effective shingles medication treatment can help bring symptoms under control and speed up recovery. The key to successful shingle treatment is starting medication as early as possible, ideally within 72 hours of the rash appearing.

Antiviral Tablets

Prescription antiviral medications stop the virus from multiplying, which helps ease and reduce the duration of symptoms. Common antiviral treatments are Aciclovir, Valaciclovir, and Famciclovir.

Once approved, you can access prescription medications through our online shingles clinic after consulting with one of our licensed pharmacists. Starting antivirals for shingles early can also help reduce the risk of developing complications.

Pain Relief Medications

Managing pain is an important part of shingles treatment. Over-the-counter pain relievers like paracetamol and ibuprofen can help ease the pain and reduce inflammation. If the pain is more severe, your GP may recommend stronger prescription medicines to help with nerve pain.

Some people may also benefit from topical pain relief options, which can be applied directly to the affected area to provide localised comfort during healing.

Shingles FAQs

While there aren’t any specific foods that make shingles worse, it’s best to avoid foods high in arginine (such as nuts, seeds, and chocolate) as they may potentially support viral replication. Focus on a balanced diet rich in lysine-containing foods like fish, chicken, dairy products, and immune-supporting nutrients like vitamin C and zinc.

Shingles will eventually heal on its own, typically within 2-4 weeks. However, treatment can make symptoms less intense, speed up healing, and lower the risk of complications. Early intervention is always recommended.

Antiviral treatment for shingles typically lasts 7-10 days, depending on the specific medication prescribed. Pain relief medications may be needed for longer periods, and some people may require ongoing treatment for postherpetic neuralgia if it develops.

While antiviral treatment can effectively treat a shingles outbreak, it cannot eliminate the varicella-zoster virus from your body. The virus remains dormant in your nerve roots and could reactivate again in the future, though this is relatively uncommon.

At Click2Pharmacy, you can access shingles treatment through our online clinic. Following a consultation with one of our licensed pharmacists, appropriate medications and pain relief options can be prescribed and delivered directly to your door.

While over-the-counter pain relievers like paracetamol and ibuprofen can help manage symptoms, the most effective treatments for shingles are prescription antiviral medications that require a consultation with a doctor or pharmacist.

You can’t develop shingles without having had chickenpox first, as shingles is a reactivation of the virus that causes the chickenpox infection. Whether the virus causes shingles or chickenpox depends on whether you’ve had it before. If you’ve never had chickenpox, you can catch it from someone with shingles, but you won’t get shingles straight away.

Shingles are usually diagnosed based on the characteristic appearance of the rash and its symptoms. Your doctor might also perform tests, such as a viral culture or a PCR test, to confirm the diagnosis, particularly when the symptoms are unclear.

The shingles vaccine is typically recommended for adults over 50 and those with weakened immune systems. The NHS offers the shingles vaccine to eligible patients, so speak to your GP about whether the vaccine is appropriate for you.

To prevent the spread of the virus, keep the rash covered, avoid touching or scratching the blisters, wash your hands frequently, and avoid contact with pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems until the rash has completely healed and scabbed over.

You can’t catch shingles from someone else, but you can pass on the varicella-zoster virus through direct contact with fluid from the blisters. Anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox or the vaccine could then develop chickenpox. You’re no longer contagious once all the blisters have dried and crusted over, which usually takes around 7 to 10 days.

No over-the-counter cream treats the shingles virus itself, but calamine lotion can help soothe itching once the blisters have scabbed over. A cool compress can also calm the rash and make it more comfortable. Avoid antibiotic creams unless a doctor has prescribed one, as they can slow healing.

Shingles is caused by a virus, so antibiotics won’t treat the infection itself. Antiviral medicines like aciclovir are the main treatment, as they stop the virus from multiplying. A doctor may only prescribe antibiotics if the blisters become infected with bacteria.

Bradley Robinson

30/04/2026

Absolutely Amazing staff! Such a help thank you so much

Samiur Rahman

Best pharmacy in the UK. The staff here are very helpful, empathetic, understanding and compassionate. Brilliant customer service and staff are actual people who use their discretion to help people.