Do I need to see a doctor for mild shingles?

Contact your doctor promptly if you suspect shingles, but especially in the following situations: The pain and rash occur near an eye. If left untreated, this infection can lead to permanent eye damage. You're 60 or older, because age significantly increases your risk of complications.

Does a mild case of shingles need treatment?

Treatment is most effective when initiated within 72 hours of the appearance of the rash. Antiviral drugs (acyclovir, valacyclovir, etc.) can help recover faster and reduce the risk of complications. Shingles rash and blisters can cause severe pain and may not reduce with over-the-counter pain medication.

Is it necessary to see a doctor for shingles?

If you have any signs of shingles, such as pain or itching on one side, or a rash, you should also call your doctor. Even if you've already seen your doctor for shingles, you should get medical care right away if the rash starts to spread to your face.

How long does a mild case of shingles last?

How long does shingles last? Most cases of shingles last three to five weeks. The first sign is often burning or tingling pain; sometimes it includes numbness or itching on one side of the body. Somewhere between one and five days after the tingling or burning feeling on the skin, a red rash will appear.

What does mild shingles feel like?

Shingles is characterized by pain or a tingling sensation in a limited area on one side of the face or torso, followed by a red rash with small, fluid-filled blisters. The signs and symptoms of shingles usually affect only a small section of one side of your body.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Don't suffer with shingles

What can be mistaken for shingles?

Shingles can sometimes be mistaken for another skin conditions, such as hives, psoriasis, or eczema. Share on Pinterest A doctor should always be consulted if shingles is suspected. The characteristics of a rash may help doctors identify the cause.

Can I spread shingles on myself?

Answer: Shingles cannot spread from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles (varicella-zoster virus) can spread from a person with active shingles to someone who is not immune to chickenpox (most people have had a chickenpox infection or vaccinated against chickenpox).

How long do shingles last without medication?

Most, but not all, people with shingles develop a blistering rash. You may also experience itching, burning, or deep pain. Typically, the shingles rash lasts 2 to 4 weeks , and most people make a complete recovery.

How painful is shingles on a scale of 1 to 10?

“Shingles is extremely painful," Wigand-Bolling said. “On a scale from one to 10, most patients will say the pain ranges from six to 10.” Between 1 and 5 days after the first symptoms occur, a rash will develop in the affected area.

What is the best over the counter medicine for shingles?

To help with the pain of shingles, your doctor might have you take an over-the-counter pain medicine. This could include acetaminophen (one brand: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (two brands: Motrin, Advil). Applying a medicated anti-itch lotion (two brands: Benadryl, Caladryl) to the blisters might reduce the pain and itching.

What are the three stages of shingles?

Shingles' clinical manifestations are divided into 3 distinct phases: preeruptive, acute eruptive, and chronic. The preeruptive phase (or preherpetic neuralgia stage) usually lasts about 48 hours but can stretch to 10 days in some cases.

What does the beginning of shingles look like?

When the rash starts, you may notice pink or red blotchy patches on one side of your body. These patches cluster along nerve pathways. Some people report feeling shooting pain in the area of the rash. During this initial stage, shingles is not contagious.

How long does it take for shingles to peak?

Typically, the peak pain of shingles is felt within 4 or 5 days after the first symptoms develop, and it comes along with a blistering rash. As the blisters scab over, the pain usually starts to disappear. In some cases, the pain does not go away. This is known as a condition called postherpetic neuralgia.

Can you get shingles from stress?

Since stress affects the immune system, many researchers believe that stress could be a trigger for shingles. Researchers in multiple studies have linked chronic, daily stress, and highly stressful life events as risk factors for shingles.

Is early shingles itchy?

The first symptoms of shingles

This often happens in the abdominal area. These symptoms many include: numbness. itching.

Can shingles rash be small?

Shingles starts with skin sensitivity, tingling, itching, and/or pain followed by rash that looks like small, red spots that turn into blisters. The rash is typically affects just one area on one side of the body or face. Treatment that is started as soon as possible helps reduce the severity of the disease.

Can you have shingles and not have blisters?

It is possible for a person to develop shingles without being affected by the rash, although this is rare. When shingles occurs without the rash being present, this is called zoster sine herpete (ZSH).

What rash is similar to shingles?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is easy to confuse with the shingles rash. As with the shingles virus, psoriasis forms red patches on the skin, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. One type of psoriasis — pustular — can lead to the development of blisters.

Is it too late to treat shingles?

It is important to see a doctor as soon as a person notices the symptoms of shingles. The National Institute on Aging recommend that people seek medical treatment no later than 3 days after the rash appears. Early treatment can limit pain, help the rash heal quicker, and may reduce scarring.

Can Covid cause shingles?

Researchers found that people 50 and older who had a COVID infection were 15% more likely to develop shingles, compared to people who were never infected. That risk climbed to 21% in people hospitalized with a severe case of COVID.

Can I use hydrocortisone cream on shingles rash?

Frequently Asked Questions. Can I use hydrocortisone cream on a shingles rash? There is no evidence that hydrocortisone cream will help treat pain in a shingles rash. Instead, try using calamine lotion or Benadryl (both topical and oral).

Can lack of sleep cause shingles?

A family history of shingles also increases the risk. Stress: People facing intense emotional stress may be more vulnerable to shingles, perhaps because stress weakens the immune system. Sleep deprivation is also a risk factor.

How do you stop shingles from spreading?