Treatment For Shingles Pain Mayo Clinic

You re probably familiar with shingles a viral infection that causes a painful rash usually on the body s torso.

Treatment for shingles pain mayo clinic.

However immediate shingles treatment often including an antiviral drug such as acyclovir zovirax famciclovir famvir or valacyclovir valtrex can reduce pain speed healing and reduce the risk of complications. The chickenpox herpes zoster virus causes shingles. Shingles typically starts with pain itching and tingling in an area where the rash will develop in a matter of days. Mayo clinic news network read the script.

Shingles is characterized by pain or a tingling sensation in a limited area on one side of the face or torso followed by a red rash with small fluid filled blisters. The signs and symptoms of shingles usually affect only a small section of one side of your body. Your doctor may also take a tissue scraping or culture of the blisters for examination in the laboratory. The condition affects nerve fibers and skin causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear.

The risk of postherpetic neuralgia increases with age primarily affecting people older than 60. Shingles around the eye typically involves the skin of the forehead and the skin of the upper lid.