Treatment

The treatment depends on the severity of the disease, your general health as well as your age. If you are under 60 and if your attack is mild then all you may need is some simple pain relief such as aspirin, paracetamol or codeine. Calamine lotion put on the rash may help. People with shingles can be in a great deal of pain and might require considerable support from family and friends.

You may be prescribed antiviral medication in certain situations. For example:

• If your condition is diagnosed within 72 hours after its appearance.
• If your immune system is compromised because of an illness or medication.
• In severe cases.
• If you are over 60 and your general health is poor.

Some antiviral medications used to treat shingles include acyclovir, famciclovir, valacyclovir and penciclovir. Antiviral medications may help reduce the risk of developing chronic pain from shingles. If given within 72 hours of the first symptoms, it may help to shorten the illness and make it less severe.

The blisters usually take 2 weeks to heal and clear up in most healthy patients. They may last longer, with more severe illness, in people with reduced body defences to infection. Infection of the blisters with bacteria may occur. This may require other antibiotics to be used. To treat shingles blisters, you can place cool compresses on the area for 15 minutes several times a day.

It quite often happens that the pain of shingles lasts for many months after the rash and blisters have completely healed, due to damage to the nerves. This is post herpetic neuralgia and is more common in those over 60. The pain can be very wearing and can get you down quite badly. In this case, antidepressant drugs or drugs for epilepsy may be prescribed. If you continue to have pain, your doctor may refer you to a pain relief clinic. It is important to let the doctor know if the pain relieving tablets are not working: do not just put up with it.

When shingles affects the eyes, emergency treatment is more aggressive and the doctor may refer you to an eye specialist. This is because the cornea of the eye is particularly susceptible and could be damaged if the eye problem is not carefully treated.

Once you have had shingles, recurrence is rare. Shingles recurs in only about 2 percent of patients but in up to 20 percent of patients with AIDS. Long-term complications from shingles, such as post herpetic neuralgia, may continue for months or many years. The disease may also cause varying degrees of scarring on your skin.