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AgePage

National Institute on Aging

Shingles

Ruth’s shingles caused so much pain she 

couldn’t bear to put on her clothes or have the 

sheets touch her skin. Her shingles symptoms 

lasted for several months.

Sarah had it easier. Shingles only made her 

feel sick for a few days. She felt a little itchy for a 

while, but was back to her old self in a few weeks.

What Is Shingles?

Shingles is a disease that affects your 

nerves. It can cause burning, shooting 

pain, tingling, and/or itching, as well as 

a rash and blisters.

You may recall having chickenpox as 

a child. Shingles is caused by the same 

virus, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). 

After you recover from chickenpox, the 

virus continues to live in some of your 

nerve cells. It is usually inactive, so you 

don’t even know it’s there.

In fact, most adults live with VZV in 

their body and never get shingles. But, 

for about one in three adults, the virus will 

become active again. Instead of causing

another case of chickenpox, it produces 

shingles. We do not totally understand what 

makes the virus go from inactive to active.

Having shingles doesn’t mean you 

have any other underlying disease.

How Do You Get Shingles?

Anyone who had chickenpox has VZV 

in their body and is at risk for getting 

shingles. Right now, there is no way of 

knowing who will get the disease. But, 

some things make it more likely:

F Advanced age. The risk of getting 

shingles increases as you age. People may 

have a harder time fighting off infections 

as they get older. About half of all shingles 

cases are in adults age 60 or older. The 

chance of getting shingles becomes much 

greater by age 70.

F	 Trouble fighting infections. Your immune 

system is the part of your body that responds

to infections. Age can affect your immune 

system. So can an HIV infection, cancer, 

cancer treatments, too much sun, or organ 

transplant drugs. Even stress or a cold can 

weaken your immune system for a short time. 

These all can put you at risk for shingles.

Can You Catch Shingles?

Shingles is not contagious. You can’t 

catch it from someone. But, you can catch 

chickenpox from someone with shingles. 

So, if you’ve never had chickenpox, try to 

stay away from anyone who has shingles.

If you have shingles, try to stay away 
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from anyone who has not had chickenpox 

or who might have a weak immune system. 

What Are the Symptoms 

of Shingles?

Usually, shingles develops only on one 

side of the body or face and in a small area 

rather than all over. The most common 

place for shingles is a band that goes 

around one side of your waistline.

Most people have some of the 

following shingles symptoms:

F Burning, tingling, or numbness of 

the skin

F Feeling sick—chills, fever, upset 

stomach, or headache

F Fluid-filled blisters

F Skin that is sensitive to touch

F Mild itching to strong pain

Depending on where shingles 

develops, it could also cause symptoms 

like loss of vision or even hiccups.

For some people, the symptoms of 

shingles are mild. They might just have 

some itching. For others, shingles can 

cause intense pain that they feel from 

the gentlest touch or breeze.

How Long Does Shingles Last?

Most cases of shingles last 3 to 5 weeks.

Shingles follows a pattern:

F The first sign is often burning or 

tingling pain; sometimes, it includes 

numbness or itching on one side of 

the body.

F Somewhere between 1 and 5 days 

after the tingling or burning feeling on 

the skin, a red rash will appear.

F A few days later, the rash will turn 

into fluid-filled blisters.

F About a week to 10 days after that, 

the blisters dry up and crust over.

F A couple of weeks later, the scabs 

clear up.

Most people get shingles only one time. 

But it is possible to have it more than once.

Long-Term Pain and Other 

Lasting Problems

After the shingles rash goes away, some 

people may be left with ongoing pain called 

post-herpetic neuralgia or PHN. The pain 

is felt in the area where the rash had been. 

For some people, PHN is the longest lasting 

and worst part of shingles. The older you 

are when you get shingles, the greater your 

chance of developing PHN.

The PHN pain can cause depression, 

anxiety, sleeplessness, and weight loss. 

Some people with PHN find it hard to go 

about their daily activities, like dressing, 

cooking, and eating. Talk with your 

doctor if you have any of these problems.

There are medicines that may help with 

PHN. Steroids may lessen the pain and 

shorten the time you’re sick. Analgesics, 

antidepressants, and anticonvulsants may 

also reduce the pain. Usually, PHN will 

get better over time.
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Some people have other problems 

that last after shingles has cleared up. For

example, the blisters caused by shingles 

can become infected. They may also 

leave a scar. It is important to keep the 

area clean and try not to scratch the 

blisters. Your doctor can prescribe an 

antibiotic treatment if needed. 

See your doctor right away if you 

notice blisters on your face—this is an 

urgent problem. Blisters near or in the 

eye can cause lasting eye damage or 

blindness. Hearing loss, a brief paralysis 

of the face, or, very rarely, swelling of the 

brain (encephalitis) can also occur. 

Have a Rash? Go to the Doctor

If you think you might have shingles, 

talk to your doctor as soon as possible. 

It’s important to see your doctor no 

later than 3 days after the rash starts. 

The doctor will confirm whether or 

not you have shingles and can make a 

treatment plan. Although there is no 

cure for shingles, early treatment with 

drugs that fight the virus can help the 

blisters dry up faster and limit severe 

pain. Shingles can often be treated at 

home. People with shingles rarely need 

to stay in a hospital.

The Shingles Vaccine

The shingles vaccine is a safe and 

easy, one-time shot that may keep you 

from getting shingles. Most people age 60

and older should get vaccinated. You 

should get the shot even if you already 

had shingles or don’t remember having 

chickenpox. However, if you have a weak 

immune system or allergies to certain 

medicines, make sure to check with your 

doctor first.

You can get the shingles vaccine 

at your doctor’s office and at some 

pharmacies. All Medicare Part D plans 

and most private health insurance plans 

will cover the cost.

What Can You Do About 

Shingles?

If you have shingles, here are some 

tips that might help you feel better:

F Get plenty of rest and eat wellbalanced meals.

F Try simple exercises like stretching 

or walking. Check with your doctor 

before starting a new exercise routine.

F Apply a cool washcloth to your blisters 

to ease the pain and help dry the blisters.

F Do things that take your mind off 

your pain. For example, watch TV, read, 

talk with friends, listen to relaxing music, 

or work on a hobby you like.

F Avoid stress. It can make the pain worse. 

F Wear loose-fitting, natural-fiber clothing.

F Take an oatmeal bath or use calamine 

lotion to see if it soothes your skin.

F Share your feelings about your pain 

with family and friends. Ask for their 

understanding.
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Also, you can limit spreading the 

virus by:

F Keeping the rash covered

F Not touching or scratching the rash

F Washing your hands often

For More Information 

About Shingles

American Chronic Pain Association

1-800-533-3231 (toll-free)

acpa@theacpa.org (email)

www.theacpa.org

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention

1-800-232-4636 (toll-free)

1-888-232-6348 (TTY/toll-free)

cdcinfo@cdc.gov (email)

www.cdc.gov/shingles

National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases

1-866-284-4107 (toll-free)

1-800-877-8339 (TTY/toll-free)

ocpostoffice@niaid.nih.gov (email)

www.niaid.nih.gov

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke

1-800-352-9424 (toll-free)

braininfo@ninds.nih.gov (email)

www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles

National Shingles Foundation

1-212-222-3390

shingles@shinglesfoundation.org (email)

www.vzvfoundation.org

For more information on health and 

aging, contact: 

National Institute on Aging

Information Center 

P.O. Box 8057 

Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057 

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free) 

1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free) 

niaic@nia.nih.gov (email) 

www.nia.nih.gov 

www.nia.nih.gov/espanol 

To order publications (in English or 

Spanish) or sign up for regular email 

alerts about new publications and other 

information from the NIA, go to 

www.nia.nih.gov/health. 

Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website 

has health and wellness information 

for older adults, including a topic 

on shingles. Special features make it 

simple to use. For example, you can 

click on a button to make the type larger.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

April 2015

National Institute

on Aging