Symptoms of shingles
- The person with shingles experiences burning sensation, tingling or increased tenderness in an area of the skin along a nerve, usually on one side of the body. If it occurs on the chest, shingles can create a more or less horizontal line that evokes the shape of a hemi-belt (in Latin, shingles means belt).
- 1 to 3 days later, a redness diffuse appears on this area of the skin.
- Then, several red vesicles filled with fluid and resembling chickenpox pimples erupt. They are itchy, dry out in 7-10 days, and go away after 2-3 weeks, sometimes a little longer.
- 60% to 90% of people with shingles experience acute local pain, of varying duration and intensity. It may resemble that of a burn or an electric shock, or a sharp throbbing. Sometimes it’s so strong that it can be mistaken for a heart attack, appendicitis, or sciatica.
- Some people have fever and headaches.