But this condition is a common complication of shingles in older people. In fact, it affects half of people older than age 60 who develop shingles and 75 percent of people older than age 70 with shingles. There's no cure for postherpetic neuralgia. But in most people the condition lessens over time. The signs and symptoms of postherpetic neuralgia are generally limited to the area of skin where a shingles outbreak first occurred.
Treatment See a doctor at the first sign of shingles .
If you do develop postherpetic neuralgia, see your doctor right away. Finding an effective treatment to relieve the pain can sometimes be frustrating. You may have to work with your doctor and sometimes specialists to try a variety of treatments before you find something that helps. Treatment for postherpetic neuralgia also depends on the type of pain you experience. The patches, which must be prescribed by a doctor, are designed to be applied directly to painful skin and deliver relief for 4 to 12 hours.