Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsShingles StagesComplicationsHow Long It LastsTreatmentCan It Spread?When to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Shingles Stages
Complications
How Long It Lasts
Treatment
Can It Spread?
When to Seek Care
Shingles generally lasts about three to five weeks. The rash associated withshinglesusually crusts over within seven to 10 days for people with a healthy immune system and then clears up within two to four weeks.However, scarring and/or changes in skin pigmentation can last for months to years.
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What Are the Stages of Shingles?
Shingles goes through three key phases or stages. However, the duration of each stage can vary from person to person.
Pre-Eruptive Phase
The pre-eruptive phase starts at least 48 hours before there are any blisters orrash. It begins with pain or burning sensations in the affected skin area. Some people may also experience other symptoms, such as:
Acute Eruptive Phase
Shingles rashes typically appear as a single strip around the left or right side of the body. The rash can appear in the following places:
When the rash develops on the face, it can affect the eye and cause vision loss. Although rare, people with weakened immune systems can develop more widespread rashes that look like chickenpox.
Once the blisters crust over, the rash usually disappears in two to four weeks.
Chronic Phase
What Can Trigger Shingles to Flare Up?
What Are the Worst Days of Shingles?
Pain, itching, and burning sensations typically peak about four to five days after the shingles rash first develops.For most people who do not have weakened immune systems, this phase does not last longer than 10 days.
People who experience postherpetic neuralgia can have lasting, severe pain and other nerve-related issues. The effects of PHN can be incredibly frustrating to deal with. In some cases, PHN-related pain may interfere with daily activities and require prescription medications to control long after the rash has gone away.
Other Symptoms
The virus responsible for causing shingles affects the body’s nerve fibers. This means that, in addition to pain, a person with shingles may also experience itching and tingling.
Other symptoms shingles can cause include:
Symptoms usually improve towards the end of the acute eruptive phase when the rash clears.
A Word From Verywell
—STEFFINI STALOS, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
What Are the Complications of Shingles?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 10% to 18% of people who have had shingles will get PHN.People under 40 years old are highly unlikely to get PHN.
People with weakenedimmune systemsare more likely to have shingles complications than other individuals.
Risk factors for developing PHN include increased age, larger rash size, and increased levels of rash pain.
Other shingles complications include:
How Long Do You Feel Unwell With Shingles?
People who develop PHN may feel unwell for quite a while after the initial shingles outbreak. PHN symptoms can be so severe that they interfere with your sleep and daily life.
There is no way to predict how long PHN will last. Some people have PHN for a few months; others have it for a few years. Some people experience PHN symptoms for the rest of their lives.
Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are most likely to have PHN.If you do not develop PHN, you can expect to start feeling better within 10 days after the shingles rash develops.
How Is Shingles Treated?
There is no cure for shingles, but there is treatment available to help manage the condition.
The mainstaytreatment for shinglesis a prescription antiviral medication.Antiviralswork best when taken as soon as possible after the shingles rash develops, ideally within three days.
Antivirals will help reduce the severity and length of the infection, and minimize the chance of developing a serious complication from shingles. The three antivirals most commonly prescribed include:
Other treatments for shingles include over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as pain relievers like Advil (ibuprofen) andTylenol (acetaminophen).If the pain is severe, a healthcare provider may prescribe acorticosteroidto help reduce rash inflammation and pain.
Will Shingles Go Away on Its Own?If shingles is not treated, it may go away on its own. However, there is an increased risk of developing a long-term painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia. PHN can last for weeks or years. Do not wait for shingles to go away on its own. There are widely available treatments to reduce symptoms and the duration of the illness.
Will Shingles Go Away on Its Own?
If shingles is not treated, it may go away on its own. However, there is an increased risk of developing a long-term painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia. PHN can last for weeks or years. Do not wait for shingles to go away on its own. There are widely available treatments to reduce symptoms and the duration of the illness.
At-Home Treatments
Home treatments for shinglesinclude calamine lotion, cool compresses, and colloidal oatmeal baths. These therapies may help alleviate itching and discomfort from the shingles rash.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends following these steps to treat the rash until it heals:
Be sure to wash your hands after touching the rash.
Self-care is an important step in managing the symptoms, too. It includes:
Is Shingles Contagious?
Shingles can only occur if someone has hadchicken pox. Shingles is not contagious. It occurs when the immune system is weakened and the virus resurfaces, causing the shingles rash.
With that said, if someone comes into contact with the fluid from a shingles blister, they could getchickenpoxif they have not had thechickenpox vaccineor a chickenpox infection. They would not get shingles from contact with a shingles blister.
Preventing ShinglesThe best way to prevent shingles is to get theshingles vaccine, Shingrix. This vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing shingles. Adults over 50 years of age are encouraged to get the vaccine, which comes in two separate doses.
Preventing Shingles
The best way to prevent shingles is to get theshingles vaccine, Shingrix. This vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing shingles. Adults over 50 years of age are encouraged to get the vaccine, which comes in two separate doses.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
See a healthcare provider as soon as you suspect a shingles rash has appeared. It’s best not to delay, since waiting longer than three days to have a shingles rash treated greatly increases the risk of developing PHN.
A healthcare provider will be able to diagnose the rash based on a physical exam and your medical history. If they are not sure if the rash is shingles, they can have it tested.
If the diagnosis is shingles, expect to be given an antiviral prescription and suggestions on how to care for the rash at home. The first couple of weeks can be painful; don’t be afraid to reach out to your healthcare provider for ways tominimize pain.
You should also see a healthcare provider if:
Since shingles that affects the eye can result in vision loss, it’s also important to see a healthcare provider if the rash gets close to your eye.
Summary
Shingles is an infection in which the herpes zoster virus resurfaces from a past chicken pox infection. It produces a painful rash on one side of the body, usually around the side of the abdomen. Shingles can last for weeks to months. However, for many people, shingles usually runs its course in three to five weeks.
There is no immediate cure for shingles. The best thing you can do if you suspect you have shingles is to contact your healthcare provider within three days to start antiviral treatment.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Singles symptoms and complications.National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Patil A, Goldust M, Wollina U.Herpes zoster: A review of clinical manifestations and management.Viruses. 2022 Jan;14(2):192. doi:10.3390/v14020192Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Mount Sinai.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles: overview.UC Health.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Signs and symptoms of shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treating shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles self-care.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Singles symptoms and complications.National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Patil A, Goldust M, Wollina U.Herpes zoster: A review of clinical manifestations and management.Viruses. 2022 Jan;14(2):192. doi:10.3390/v14020192Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Mount Sinai.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles: overview.UC Health.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Signs and symptoms of shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treating shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles self-care.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Singles symptoms and complications.National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.Patil A, Goldust M, Wollina U.Herpes zoster: A review of clinical manifestations and management.Viruses. 2022 Jan;14(2):192. doi:10.3390/v14020192Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Mount Sinai.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles: overview.UC Health.Shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Signs and symptoms of shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treating shingles.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles self-care.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Singles symptoms and complications.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Complications of shingles.
Patil A, Goldust M, Wollina U.Herpes zoster: A review of clinical manifestations and management.Viruses. 2022 Jan;14(2):192. doi:10.3390/v14020192
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).
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American Academy of Dermatology Association.Shingles self-care.
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