During the next two weeks the crusts will drop off, sometimes leaving small, pitted scars. Because they tend to follow nerve paths, the blisters are usually found in a line, often extending from the back or flank around to the abdomen, just on one side. Shingles never crosses the midline of the body. The word shingles comes from the Latin word for belt or girdle. The rash also may appear on one side of your face.
Some people have painful eye inflammations and infections.
A person with shingles can transmit chickenpox to a person who has never had the virus. There are virus particles in the blister fluid. If you have shingles, avoid contact with infants, children, pregnant women, and adults who have never had chickenpox until your blisters are completely dry. A new antiviral drug, famciclovir, has become available for treating shingles. The goal is to shorten the course of painful symptoms, minimize blister formation, and speed healing.