What Can I Do For Shingles Pain

The main symptoms are pain followed by a rash.

What can i do for shingles pain.

Pain is usually the first symptom of shingles. For some it can be intense. If your shingles pain lasts eight to 12 weeks after the rash goes away you re part of an unfortunate minority says pain researcher andrew s c. The pain of shingles is for many people quite striking in its severity.

Shingles can affect the brain spinal cord and blood vessels but it s rare. Depending on the location of the pain it can sometimes be mistaken for a symptom of problems affecting the heart lungs or kidneys. Find out what the recovery stages of shingles are and how you can help minimize the symptoms. Roughly 30 to 60 of people over age 60 who get shingles go on to develop a chronic pain syndrome called post herpetic neuralgia.

Shingles is usually diagnosed based on the history of pain on one side of your body along with the telltale rash and blisters. While antiviral medication is an effective treatment for shingles it s not the only option. An episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks. If you have shingles symptoms get treatment now and you may avoid permanent nerve pain.

Rice md of imperial college london. Shingles causes a painful rash that can be accompanied by fever fatigue and sensitivity to light. Shingles can appear many years after the initial chickenpox infection. Some people develop complications after shingles including nerve pain called post herpetic neuropathy.

Any part of your body can be affected including your face and eyes although the chest and abdomen tummy are the most common areas where shingles develops. Shingles a viral infection of the nerve roots affects 1 million people in the u s each year. Some people experience shingles pain without ever developing the rash. Shingles also known as herpes zoster results from a reactivation of infection with the varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox anyone who has had chickenpox may develop shingles later in life although it is most common in older people.

Complications send about 1 to 4 percent of people with shingles to. Shingles recovery tends to follow a pattern and may take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks or more.