Shingles

Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash. Get advice from 111 as soon as possible if you think you have it.

Check if you have shingles

The first signs of shingles can be:

·      a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin

·      a headache or feeling generally unwell

A rash will appear a few days later.

Usually you get the shingles rash on your chest and tummy, but it can appear anywhere on your body including on your face, eyes and genitals.

The rash appears as blotches on your skin, on 1 side of your body only. A rash on both the left and right of your body is unlikely to be shingles.

Get advice from 111 as soon as you suspect shingles

You might need medicine to help speed up your recovery and avoid longer-lasting problems.

This works best if taken within 3 days of your symptoms starting.

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

How to treat shingles symptoms yourself?

DO

ü take paracetamol to ease pain

ü keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection

ü wear loose-fitting clothing

ü use a cool compress (a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel or a wet cloth) a few times a day

DO NOT

     X   do not let dressings or plasters stick to the rash

     X   do not use antibiotic cream – this slows healing

How long shingles lasts

It can take up to 4 weeks for the rash to heal.

Your skin can be painful for weeks after the rash has gone, but it usually gets better over time.

Stay away from certain groups of people if you have shingles

You cannot spread shingles to others. But people who have not had chickenpox before could catch chickenpox from you.

This is because shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus.

Try to avoid:

·      Pregnant people who have not had chickenpox before

·      People with a weakened immune system – like someone having chemotherapy

·      Babies less than 1 month old – unless you gave birth to them, as your baby should be protected from the virus by your immune system

Shingles and pregnancy

If you're pregnant and get shingles, there's no danger to your pregnancy or baby.

But you should be referred to a specialist, as you may need antiviral treatment.

You cannot get shingles from someone with chickenpox

You cannot get shingles from someone with shingles or chickenpox.

But you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have not had chickenpox before.

When people get chickenpox, the virus remains in the body. It can be reactivated later and cause shingles if someone's immune system is lowered.

This can be because of stress, certain conditions, or treatments like chemotherapy.

Shingles vaccination

A shingles vaccine is available on the NHS for people in their 70s. It helps reduce your risk of getting shingles.

If you get shingles after being vaccinated, the symptoms can be much milder.

Ask your GP surgery if you can get the vaccine on the NHS.

Who can have the shingles vaccine?

You're eligible for the shingles vaccine when you're aged 70 to 79.

When you're eligible, you can have the shingles vaccination at any time of year.

The shingles vaccine is not available on the NHS to anyone aged 80 and over because it seems to be less effective in this age group.

Is there anyone who should not have the shingles vaccination?

There are 2 shingles vaccines available in the UK:

·      Zostavax, a live vaccine given as 1 dose

·      Shingrix, a non-live vaccine given as 2 doses

If Zostavax is not suitable for you, a GP or practice nurse will decide whether to offer you Shingrix instead.

You should not have the shingles vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (including an anaphylactic reaction) in the past to a previous dose of the shingles vaccine, or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine, or to a previous dose of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

If you have a weakened immune system a GP or practice nurse will assess which vaccine is suitable for you. Discuss any health concerns with the GP or practice nurse before you have the vaccine.

Zostavax is not suitable for people who have a weakened immune system due to a condition, treatment or medicine.

The shingles vaccine and other vaccines

You can have a shingles vaccine at the same time as most other vaccines. But try to leave 7 days between the shingles vaccine and a corona virus (COVID-19) vaccine, so that if you have any side effects you'll know which vaccine they were from.