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Symptoms of Shingles

Shingles start with itching, burning, tingling, or painful feelings in a band-like area. A skin rash appears about 3 to 4 days after these symptoms.

Early Symptoms

Early symptoms happen 3 to 4 days before the rash and may be:

  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Tiredness
  • Nervousness
  • Skin discomfort usually on one side of the face, torso, trunk, back, or buttocks. It may include:
    • Numbness or tingling
    • Itching
    • Burning or stinging
    • Shooting pain or sharp pain
    • Electric shock
    • Extreme sensitivity to even light touch

Symptoms of Active Shingles

This period starts with a rash in the same area as the early symptoms. Symptoms may be

  • A rash that starts as a reddish band or individual bumps in a line
  • Fluid-filled centers in the bumps
  • Bumps drying and crusting over
  • Pain (may be severe) and itching in the area of the rash
  • Rash on the side of the nose or other parts of the face—can be a sign that the eye is affected (call the doctor right away).

For most people, active shingles is gone within a week to a month. Some people have pain after the rash has healed. This is called postherpetic neuralgia. It can be severe and limit activities.

REFERENCES:

About shingles (herpes zoster). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/index.html. Accessed November 15, 2021.

Herpes zoster. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/herpes-zoster. Accessed November 15, 2021.

Saguil A, Kane S, et al. Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: prevention and management. Am Fam Physician. 2017;96(10):656-663.

Shingles information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Shingles-Information-Page. Accessed November 15, 2021.

Shingles. The American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/shingles-treatment. . Accessed November 15, 2021.

Last reviewed November 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board David L. Horn, MD, FACP