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Chances are, you’ve heard of shingles or may even know someone who has had shingles. Also called “herpes zoster” or “zoster,” shingles is a rash of painful sores that typically appears in a stripe or a band pattern on one side of the body. The first symptoms are typically pain, itching, and tingling at the site of the rash. For the first few days, the rash appears as fluid-filled blisters that turn into open sores. After seven to 10 days, the blisters scab over, though the rash takes a few additional weeks to clear up completely. The torso is the most common area affected, though shingles can appear on any part of the body.
Shingles is a common condition that affects an estimated 1 million people a year in the United States, and roughly one in three Americans experience a bout of shingles at some point during their lifetime.
Keep reading to learn about risk factors, preventing shingles, and other questions to discuss with your healthcare provider.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Preventi... + 7
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines and Preventable Diseases: Shingles Vaccination. Reviewed May 24, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (Herpes Zoster): Clinical Overview. Reviewed October 5, 2020.
- Merck Manual Consumer Version. Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Modified September 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Shingles. August 20, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (Herpes Zoster): Signs & Symptoms. Reviewed July 1, 2019.
- Harvard Health Publishing. Shingles can strike twice. Will the shingles vaccine help? September 16, 2019.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Everyone Should Know about Zostavax. Reviewed October 5, 2020 (archived).
- U.S Food & Drug Administration. BLA Approval (letter). October 20, 2017.
