Shingles is a common disease that causes a painful rash, usually in a band across one side of your body or face. It is caused by the same virus as chickenpox and you can only get shingles if you have already had chickenpox. The chickenpox virus stays in your nervous system and you develop shingles if it becomes active again and attacks the nerves.
Shingles can affect people of any age. It can be very painful but you may be able to lessen the severity of an attack if you visit your doctor as soon as the symptoms appear.
Shingles isn't spread through the air and, as far as we know, you can't 'catch' shingles from someone else. No amount of contact, not even touching the rash, will make you catch it. However, if you have never had chickenpox, it is possible to catch chickenpox from someone with shingles.
Once the rash has appeared, the blisters will usually form scabs and then heal over the next two to three weeks. Some people will continue to feel pain for up to a month or even longer after the blisters have healed. You may also notice that your skin is a bit discoloured or scarred.
The pain caused by shingles varies from person to person. For some people, it is very like chickenpox; the rash may sting and then itch as it heals.