Shingles (herpes zoster): symptoms, treatment and which doctor
What shingles is, the early pain and the blistering rash, why antiviral medicines work best when started early, the complications, and which doctor to see.
Also known as: Herpes Zoster; Postherpetic Neuralgia; Zoster
What shingles is
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has had chickenpox, usually in childhood, the virus does not leave the body. It stays asleep inside nerve roots near the spine and brain, sometimes for decades. If it wakes up later, it travels along one nerve to the skin and causes shingles.
Because the virus follows a single nerve, the rash usually appears as a band or patch on one side of the body or face. Shingles is most common after the age of fifty and in people whose immunity is weakened. Most people recover in a few weeks, but the pain can be severe and some people develop long-lasting nerve pain or eye problems.
An old belief in many places holds that if the shingles band meets all the way around the body it is fatal. This is a myth. The rash almost always stays on one side.
Symptoms
Shingles usually starts with sensations in the skin before anything can be seen:
- Burning pain, shooting pain, tingling or itching in one area on one side of the body or face, for one to several days
- A red rash in the same area, which develops into a blistering rash of small fluid-filled blisters
- The blisters crust over within about a week to ten days, and the skin heals over the following weeks
- Some people also have fever, headache, chills, tiredness or an upset stomach
The commonest sites are a stripe around the chest or abdomen, and the forehead and around one eye. Before the rash appears, the pain can be mistaken for heart, lung, gall bladder or kidney problems, or a pulled muscle. In people with weakened immunity the rash can be more widespread and look like chickenpox.
Who is at risk
Anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles. The risk is higher in:
- Adults over fifty, with the risk rising with age
- People with weakened immunity, such as those living with HIV, people with some cancers, and people having chemotherapy or an organ transplant
- People taking medicines that suppress immunity, including long-term steroids
- People with diabetes and other long-term illnesses
- Times of illness or severe stress, which may make the immune system less effective
Shingles in a young, otherwise healthy adult is not unusual, but if it is severe, widespread or keeps coming back, your doctor may suggest tests, such as an HIV test or blood sugar check, to look for a reason. It is uncommon, but possible, to get shingles more than once.
Is shingles contagious?
You cannot catch shingles from someone with shingles. But a person who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine can catch chickenpox from direct contact with fluid from shingles blisters. The risk is low if the rash is covered, and the rash stops being infectious once all the blisters have crusted. Until then:
- Keep the rash covered and do not scratch or touch it; wash your hands often
- Stay away from pregnant women who have not had chickenpox, newborn and premature babies, and people with weakened immunity
- If the rash cannot be covered, as on the face, avoid close contact with these groups
Complications
- Postherpetic neuralgia — nerve pain that continues after the rash has healed. It is the commonest complication, more likely with age, and can last months or, for some, years.
- Eye involvement — shingles on the forehead, around the eye or on the tip of the nose can affect the eye and, without treatment, lead to lasting vision problems.
- Ear involvement — shingles in or near the ear can cause hearing loss, dizziness and weakness of one side of the face, similar to Bell's palsy.
- Skin infection of the blisters by bacteria, and scarring
- Rarely, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, or stroke, mostly in people with very weak immunity
How it is diagnosed
Most of the time a clinical examination is enough: a doctor recognises shingles from the pattern of pain and the one-sided blistering rash. When the rash is unusual, for example in someone with weakened immunity, a swab of blister fluid can be tested in a laboratory to confirm the virus. If the eye area is involved, an eye examination by an ophthalmologist is needed.
Treatment
There is no medicine that removes the virus from the body, but treatment shortens the illness and reduces complications:
- Antiviral medicines help the rash heal faster, reduce the pain and may lower the chance of postherpetic neuralgia. They work best when started early, ideally within three days of the rash appearing, so see a doctor promptly.
- Pain relief — paracetamol or other painkillers your doctor advises. For severe nerve pain, doctors may prescribe specific medicines that calm nerve pain.
- Skin care: cool, damp compresses, calamine lotion and loose cotton clothing to ease itching and discomfort. Keep the area clean and dry.
- Do not apply toothpaste, oils, home pastes, or creams that are not advised by a doctor; these can irritate the skin or cause infection. Do not burst the blisters.
For postherpetic neuralgia, treatment may include nerve pain medicines, numbing skin patches or creams, and in difficult cases referral to a pain specialist.
Prevention
A shingles vaccine can reduce the risk of shingles and of postherpetic neuralgia. It is generally recommended for adults over fifty, and may be advised for younger adults with weakened immunity. Depending on the vaccine, it may be given as two doses some months apart, and it can usually be given even to people who have had shingles before, once the rash has healed. Ask your doctor whether it is suitable for you and where it is available. Chickenpox vaccination in childhood protects against chickenpox; ask your child's paediatrician about it.
When to get urgent help
See a doctor the same day if you think you have shingles, especially if you are over fifty, have weakened immunity, or the rash is on your face. Call 112 or 108, or go to the nearest emergency department, if you have:
- A rash near the eye with eye pain, redness or blurred vision
- Confusion, severe headache, stiff neck, drowsiness or seizures
- Weakness of one side of the face or body
- A rash spreading widely over the body with high fever, especially with weakened immunity
- Breathlessness
Which doctor to see
A dermatologist or a general physician can diagnose shingles and start antiviral treatment; what matters most is being seen quickly. If the eye area is involved, see an ophthalmologist as well. People with very weak immunity or complicated infection may be cared for with an infectious disease specialist.
You can find dermatologists in Bengaluru, general physicians in Bengaluru or ophthalmologists in Bengaluru on The Doctor Index, each with a registration you can check.
Common questions
Questions people ask
- How long does shingles last?
- The rash usually blisters and crusts over in about a week to ten days, and heals within two to four weeks. Pain can continue for longer, and in some people, especially older adults, it lasts for months as postherpetic neuralgia.
- Can I go to work or school with shingles?
- If the rash can be kept covered and you feel well enough, many people can. Avoid contact with pregnant women who have not had chickenpox, newborn babies and people with weakened immunity until all the blisters have crusted over.
- Can I get shingles if I never had chickenpox?
- Shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, so you can only get it if the virus is already in your body. Some people had chickenpox so mildly they never knew, and rarely shingles follows the live chickenpox vaccine. You can also catch chickenpox from contact with the fluid in shingles blisters.
- Should I get the shingles vaccine if I have already had shingles?
- Often yes. Shingles can come back, and the vaccine is generally offered to eligible adults even after an episode, once the rash has healed. Your doctor can advise on timing and whether it suits your health conditions.
This condition is usually assessed by a dermatologist. Every profile shows the doctor’s registration and what has been checked.
Dermatologists in Bangalore
A few dermatologists listed on The Doctor Index. They are shown because of their speciality, not a stated interest in Shingles; ask the clinic whether the doctor sees it.
Related conditions
Practical reading
All postsSources
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Shingles
- Government of India — Emergency Response Support System (112)
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Shingles — Public-domain health-topic summary
Shingles (herpes zoster): symptoms, treatment and which doctor is original text by The Doctor Index; the compiled source draft was used for research. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999; July 2026 data, CC BY 4.0. This product uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (hp/releases/2026-09-01). Only sources listed for this article apply. Source material has been selected and arranged; HPO definitions are reproduced without alteration. No source organisation endorses this compilation. Köhler S et al. The Human Phenotype Ontology project: linking molecular biology and disease through phenotype data. Nucleic Acids Research 2014;42(D1):D966–D974. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1026.
General information, not advice about your situation. Errors can be reported through the corrections process. Reference TDI-C-2142.