The Herpes Zoster virus usually makes its first appearance during early childhood in the form of chickenpox. Later in life the virus may reactivate, causing a rash of small blisters, which form crusts and can leave scars. When the chickenpox virus returns a second time it appears in the form of shingles. Shingles are quite painful, and have proven hard to manage with symptoms such as: Pain Tingling Headaches Numbness If shingles affects the face it is critical that you see your ophthalmologist because it can just as easily infect your eyes. If you fear that shingles may be spreading to your eyes, your ophthalmologist can look for elevated pressure in the eye, inflammation inside the eye, and lesions on the surface of the eye. Though this corneal disease is painful, today new oral antiviral medications are providing shingles patients with a quicker, more complete recovery.