Symptoms

The first symptom to appear is a general sensitivity or burning sensation on the nerve paths along which the virus is travelling. Nerve paths typically form half-circles around the body. The pain corresponds to the position of the nerve paths and is almost always on one side of the body or face only. Two to three days after the pain has begun, a typical rash appears: small blisters on red, swollen skin. It resembles the type which is seen during an attack of chickenpox but covers a smaller area. The rash is typically accompanied by a fever and enlarged lymph nodes. The rash usually reaches its peak after three to five days. Then, the blisters burst and turn into sores, which gradually scab over. The scabs fall off after two to three weeks.

Shingles is often a very painful condition. As the virus damages the nerves, the pain may continue after the rash has cleared, sometimes lingering for weeks, months or even years. This highly unpleasant after-effect of shingles is called post-herpetic neuralgia.

Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) is a rare complication of shingles. It is very serious and requires emergency treatment. The symptoms include:

• High fever
• Mental confusion
• Loss of memory
• Tiredness or exhaustion

If the rash breaks out on the face near the eye, an eye specialist should be consulted, as there is a danger of scarring of the eye and effects on vision.

Shingles during pregnancy can be particularly serious. Pregnant women suffering from chicken pox or shingles run a higher than normal risk of contracting pneumonia. In some cases, an unborn child exposed to Varicella zoster can be damaged or may be miscarried.