Understanding shingles - symptoms

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Symptoms of shingles include:

• Pain or bruised feeling - usually on one side of your face or body -often along with a fever, chills, headache or upset stomach
• Tingling, itching or prickling skin and an inflamed, red skin rash several days later
• A group or long strip of small, fluid-filled blisters
• Deep burning, searing, aching or stabbing pain, which may occur once in a while or last a long time

Seek medical advice if:

• You suspect an outbreak is beginning. If you take antiviral drugs in the early stages, you may shorten the course of the infection.
• Shingles on your face spreads near your eye, to avoid possible cornea damage.
• The affected area becomes secondarily infected with bacteria (indicated by spreading redness, swelling, a high fever and pus). Antibiotics can help halt the spread of bacterial infection but not the shingles itself.
• Your rash lasts longer than 10 days without improvement.
• The pain becomes too great to bear. Your doctor may prescribe stronger painkillers or other treatments.