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Pre-Rash Shingles Symptoms

Shingles is most common in people over 60 years of age. Learn about risks, pre-rash symptoms, contagiousness, treatments, and vaccinations.

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What Causes Shingles?

This is a magnification of the herpes-zoster virus, which causes shingles.

This illustration shows the progression of the shingles virus.

Here are examples of shingles blisters and rash.

A graph showing who is most at risk for shingles.

A man experiences pain on the side of chest and abdomen, symptoms before shingles rash.

This man has a shingles rash (herpes zoster) of small blisters on his chest and torso.

Once the shingles blisters pop, the area starts to ooze, then crusts over, and heals.

A graph showing how long shingles lasts in patients.

Postherpetic neuralgia is a common complication of shingles and occurs when the nerve pain associated with shingles persists beyond one month.

This child has chickenpox, an infection that occurs after coming in contact with someone who has shingles..

Shingles that spreads to the eye may lead to loss of vision.

A doctor discusses shingles treatment options with a patient.

Antiviral medications can reduce the severity and duration of the shingles rash if started early.

Baths and calamine lotion are a few home treatment options for shingles.

Pregnant women should not receive the shingles vaccine.

A man receives the shingles vaccine and may experience side effects to the shingles vaccine.

Photo of pregnant woman with doctor discussing the risks of shingles while pregnant.

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What Is Shingles? Common Symptoms

Shingles is a virus condition involving inflammation of sensory nerves that can result in severe pain. It causes localized pain, numbness, and itching, followed by the appearance of clustered blisters in a strip pattern on one side of the body. Sometimes the pain can persist for weeks, months, or years after the rash heals (known as postherpetic neuralgia). The term “shingles” is derived from the Latin word cingulum, meaning girdle -- the idea being that shingles often girdles part of the body.