The first signs of having shingles is a blistering painful rash on the skin.
Before the shingles rash appears you may have pain, tingling or burning on an area of the skin where the shingles rash develops.
Most people with shingles experience a localized band of pain in the affected area.
The pain may be a constant, dull or burning sensation and its intensity can vary from mild to severe.
You may have sharp stabbing pains from time to time, and the affected area of skin will usually be tender.
Shingles symptoms appear in stages.
At first, you may get headaches or feel like you have the flu, but without a fever.
You may also be sensitive to light, have trouble thinking clearly or feel dizzy and weak.
A few days or even weeks later, an area of your body or face will feel itchy, tingly or painful.
People develop shingles when the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, reactivates in their bodies after they have already had chickenpox.
A person cannot get shingles from a person that has shingles.
However, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine.
The person exposed to the virus would develop chickenpox, not shingles.
Call your doctor as soon as you suspect shingles so you can begin treatment as early as possible.
Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), or famciclovir (Famvir) can make symptoms less severe and shorten the length of the illness if taken early.
If you have a condition that weakens the immune system, your doctor may order a shingles test.
Although there is no cure for shingles, early treatment with antiviral medications can help the blisters clear up faster and limit severe pain.
Shingles can often be treated at home.
Untreated shingles can lead to complications in certain people.
This might include older adults and those with compromised immune systems.
Complications in these groups could lead to death.