Breaking down shingles: The painful skin condition explained

Shingles, a painful and debilitating illness, affects more than 120,000 Australians each year. Here’s what causes it and best ways to manage it.

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful illness that one in three people will develop in their lifetime.

It’s caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which means you can only get it if you’ve had chickenpox in the past.

An estimated 122,000 Australians suffer from shingles each year – here’s what you need to know.

What does shingles look and feel like?

According to infectious diseases physician Professor Tony Cunningham, shingles can appear anywhere on the body.

“If it’s on the torso, it usually extends in a line around the torso and usually only covers half, from the midline at the front to the midline at the back,” Prof Cunningham, of the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, told House of Wellness radio.

“If it’s in the eye or head region, it’s usually a line up over the hair; if it’s on the arm or the leg, it’s usually a line up the arm or the leg.”

The main symptoms of shingles include:  

• Pain, burning or tingling
• Red rash
• Fluid-filled blisters with the rash
• Itching
• Sensitivity to touch

Is shingles contagious?

You can’t catch shingles from another person.

However, if you haven’t previously had chickenpox, then it’s possible to contract chickenpox from someone who has shingles.

Transmission can occur through direct contact with open sores or blisters from the rash.

A person with shingles is contagious until their blisters scab.

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Who can get shingles?

Shingles can affect anyone who has previously had chickenpox but is more common among those aged 50 and over.

“About one third of people encounter shingles in their lifetime; once you get over the age of 85, about 50 per cent of people do,” Prof Cunningham says.

Prof Cunningham says the other group at most risk are those who have impairment of their immune system, either naturally because they’ve had leukemia, a transplantation or chemotherapy,  or because they’re on immune-suppressive drugs such as steroids or JAK inhibitors.

What is the treatment for shingles?

The virus can be treated with an antiviral medicine to provide relief from symptoms.

Prof Cunningham says it’s critical to see your GP as soon as you suspect you have shingles.

“You need to get to shingles within the first three days of that rash appearing; (it is) really important to get to your doctor preferably within the first 24 hours,” he says.

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Can you get shingles twice?

Unfortunately, having had shingles once doesn’t protect you from getting it again so, yes,

you can get shingles twice – and even three times in rare cases.

Is there a shingles vaccine?

Yes – Zostavax and Shingrix are the two vaccines available in Australia.

Vaccination against shingles is recommended for everyone over 60 and is provided for free for those over 70.

Are you more at risk of shingles if you’ve had Covid?

Research on links between Covid-19 and shingles are underway, with preliminary studies finding there is a link between the two diseases.

“Recent reports have shown this, but it’s not as marked as immuno-suppression,” Prof Cunningham says.

Written by Kate Salemme.