You may experience chills and fever, as well as intense pain in one part of the body.
It can also occur on the side of your face.
It offers information about when to see a healthcare provider for your symptoms.
Verywell
What Shingles Feels Like Before the Rash
Shingles develops in two stages.
The first is called the prodromal period.
Shingles is a reactivation of thevaricellavirus, which is what causeschickenpox.
aradaphotography/Shutterstock
After an initial infection, the virus lays dormant in the body.
Once reactivated, which can happen years later, shingles can occur.
These symptoms sometimes occur at times when you’re feeling stressed or run down.
Getty Images
They are also systemic, meaning they affect the whole body.
You may assume you’re just overtired or coming down with a cold when you actually have shingles.
These symptoms feel like:
The most telling first symptom of shingles typically is the pain.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
What Does Nerve Pain From Shingles Feel Like?
The skin will be sensitive to any pressure, even a light touch, around the damaged nerves.
Pain is often described as sharp, stabbing, or burning.
It can be constant or come and go, and it may feel worse with movement.
This is when a rash appears.
As these symptoms get worse, it may begin to feel like a sunburn.
With shingles, the rash almost always occupies a finite strip of skin.
What Triggers a Shingles Outbreak?
This can happen as you get older and your immune system becomes less robust.
Outbreaks can involve two adjacent dermatomes, but rarely two non-adjacent dermatomes.
The exception may be in people whose immune systems are severely comprised, such as those withadvanced HIVinfection.
The risk increases with age; it is rarely seen in people under age 40.
A particularly severe and painful shingles rash can be associated with PHN.
Having the rash on the face or torso also increases the risk of the condition.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and it often takes several medications to relieve the pain and other symptoms.
The bugs most often responsible for such infections areStaphylococcus aureusand group A betahemolytic streptococcus.
One bacterial skin infection sometimes associated with shingles isimpetigo, which most often affects children.
It starts with itchy sores that burst and then form honey-colored crusts.
Impetigo is extremely contagious but can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Cellulitis starts with an area that’s red, swollen, and feels warm and tender to the touch.
This leads toherpes zoster ophthalmicus(HZO).
Of these, the ophthalmic branch is the one most commonly affected by herpes zoster.
The symptoms include:
People with Ramsay Hunt often experience dizziness or lack of balance.
The condition also can cause permanent hearing loss if not treated promptly.
Most patients experiencing motor neuropathy will regain motor function.
Your healthcare provider will help you determine the right treatment for you.
This may include antiviral drugs, antidepressant medications, and pain medications.
You also may experience pain at a specific site on your body.
The pain can be significant.
People often describe it as sharp, stabbing, or burning.
A rash typically follows and lasts for three to five days.
Symptoms overall may last two to four weeks, but pain may last longer.
Complications can occur as well, some of them serious.
It’s important to see a healthcare provider right away if you suspect shingles and its symptoms.
And consider the highly effectiveShingrix vaccineto prevent shingles in people over 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can, but there’s a risk of developing severe pain without treatment.
It’s important to see your healthcare provider within three days of developing a rash.
Early treatment with antiviral medicine can help the rash heal faster and prevent severe pain.
Antiviral medications can help prevent severe pain and shorten the length of the illness.
These include acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Signs & Symptoms.
2022 Aug;102:112-113. doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2022.05.011.
National Health Service Scotland.Shingles.
2020 Oct-Dec;13(4):265-274. doi:10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_45_20.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical Overview of Shingles (Herpes Zoster).
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
2020 Nov 20;12(11):e11583.
American Academy of Dermatology.Shingles Tips for Managing.
National Institute on Aging.Shingles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treating shingles.
American Academy of Dermatology.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and treatment.
Sept 16, 2015.
