how long does the shingles run its course

by Ida Dooley 4 min read

How long does shingles last? Most cases of shingles last three to five weeks. The first sign is often burning or tingling pain; sometimes it includes numbness or itching on one side of the body. Somewhere between one and five days after the tingling or burning feeling on the skin, a red rash will appear.

Will shingles run its course?

There is no cure for shingles. It simply has to run its course. Treatment focuses on pain relief. Painkillers may help relieve some of the pain.

How long does it take shingles to stop spreading?

To prevent the virus from being transmitted, keep shingles rashes covered. Cover the rash from when the blisters appear to when they crust and scab over. According to the CDC , this usually takes 7 to 10 days.

What are the final stages of shingles?

The stages of shingles are tingling pain, followed by a burning feeling and a red rash, then blistering, and finally the blisters will crust over.

How do you know when shingles is healing?

The blisters will scab over and begin to heal, which takes from 1 to 3 weeks, unless the rash is on your scalp in which case it can take several months. As they heal, the blisters become smaller and less painful, generally over a period of 3 to 5 weeks.

How long do you feel unwell with shingles?

How long does shingles last? Most cases of shingles last three to five weeks. The first sign is often burning or tingling pain; sometimes it includes numbness or itching on one side of the body. Somewhere between one and five days after the tingling or burning feeling on the skin, a red rash will appear.

How painful is shingles on a scale of 1 to 10?

“Shingles is extremely painful," Wigand-Bolling said. “On a scale from one to 10, most patients will say the pain ranges from six to 10.” Between 1 and 5 days after the first symptoms occur, a rash will develop in the affected area.

Which painkiller is best for shingles?

Doctors have a variety of choices to treat shingles pain. Medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen are often used. More severe cases might call for use of Tylenol with codeine or oxycodone.

Do shingles make you tired and weak?

You may experience fatigue while you have shingles. However, it's also possible to feel fatigued even after the shingles rash has disappeared. Fatigue may happen indirectly due to PHN, a complication of shingles that involves lingering pain.

Does shingles get worse before it gets better?

Typically, the peak pain of shingles is felt within 4 or 5 days after the first symptoms develop, and it comes along with a blistering rash. As the blisters scab over, the pain usually starts to disappear. In some cases, the pain does not go away. This is known as a condition called postherpetic neuralgia.

How long does it take for nerves to heal after shingles?

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can last for weeks, months, or in some people, years after the shingles rash goes away. In most people, shingles pain goes away in one to three months. However, in one in five people, pain lasts more than one year.

Do shingles symptoms get worse at night?

It can be constant or intermittent and may get worse at night or in reaction to heat or cold. The pain can result in fatigue, sleep disturbance, anorexia, depression and, in general, a lowering of quality of life.

What Is Shingles (Herpes Zoster)?

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Shingles, also known as herpes zoster or just zoster, occurs when a virus in nerve cells becomes active again later in life and causes a skin rash. The virus that causes shingles, the varicella-zoster virus, is the same virus that causes chickenpox. It is a member of the herpes virus family. Once you have had chicken…
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Symptoms

  • Shingles usually begins with a burning sensation, a mild itching or tingling or a shooting pain in a specific area of skin. The affected area usually is located only on one side of the chest, abdomen or face or on a portion of an arm or leg. The skin may be extremely sensitive, so that you may not be able to stand clothing touching or rubbing the area. After about five days, the skin becomes r…
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Diagnosis

  • Shingles can be difficult to diagnose before visible signs of the disease appear. Once a rash and blisters appear, your doctor probably will diagnose shingles based on your symptoms and the appearance of your skin. Rarely, when the diagnosis is less certain, the doctor may scrape tissue, collect cells from the affected skin and examine them under a microscope for cellular changes c…
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Expected Duration

  • Shingles usually takes 7 to 10 days to run its course, although blisters may take several weeks to disappear completely. Within 4 weeks, the appearance of your skin most likely will return to normal. Some people are left with dark spots on the skin in the area of the original rash. The duration of pain is highly variable. Most people's pain decreas...
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Prevention

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that healthy adults over age 50 get two doses of a called Shingrix. Doses are given two to six months apart. Shingrix is said to be more than 90% effective against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia — a painful nerve condition that can arise as a shingles complication. This new vaccine is more effective than Zos…
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Treatment

  • If your condition is diagnosed within 72 hours after the rash appears, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication. Some antiviral medications used to treat shingles include acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex). Antiviral medications may help to reduce the risk of developing chronic (long-lasting) pain from shingles. The skin rash and blisters should be rins…
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When to Call A Professional

  • Early treatment may help deter long-term complications, so call your doctor immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of shingles.
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Prognosis

  • Most people recover completely from an acute episode with no pain; and skin color returns to normal. Once you have had shingles, it is unusual for the condition to return. Shingles comes back in only about 2% of people, but in up to 20% of people with AIDS. Long-term complications from shingles, such as post-herpetic neuralgia, may continue for months or many years. The disease …
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Further Information

  • Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Medical Disclaimer
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