Treatment for shingles may include:

• Painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or codeine
• Antiviral medication
• Cool Compress

Who should not be vaccinated with Shingrix?

You shouldn’t receive the Shingrix vaccine if you:

• Have ever had an allergic reaction to any component of the shingles vaccine
• Are breastfeeding or pregnant
• Have had a stem cell transplant

What are the complications of shingles?

Shingles can have complications that last long after the rash is gone, including pain that lasts long after the outbreak, called postherpetic neuralgia. It affects up to 1 in 5 people who get shingles.

Other complications include:

• Nerve issues like numbness or itching
• A bacterial infection of the shingles rash
• Eye and ear inflammation if the rash is near these organs

Is Shingles Contagious?

Someone with shingles can’t spread shingles to another person. However, one can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if they haven’t had chickenpox before.

The blisters that form contain the varicella-zoster virus. If a person who has never had chickenpox makes direct contact with an open blister or something with the fluid on it, they can contract the virus and develop chickenpox.

If you have shingles, you’re contagious until the last blister has dried and scabbed over. To help prevent the virus being passed on, avoid sharing towels or flannels, swimming, or playing contact sports. You should also avoid work or school if your rash is weeping (oozing fluid) and can’t be covered. In the meantime, avoid high risk groups such as women who are pregnant, people with weak immune system and babies.