Shingles is a painful skin rash , often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster. A Shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and lasts from 2 to 4 weeks. Its main symptom is pain, which can become quite severe, even to the slightest touch. Other symptoms that may develop are fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach. Very rarely shingles can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, hearing problems, and blindness. For 1 in 5 people the pain can remain long after the rash is gone. This pain is called "post-herpetic neuralgia". Shingles is cause by the same virus that causes Chickenpox (Varicella Zoster). Only someone who has had the chickenpox can get shingles because the virus stays in your body and reappears many years later. You cannot catch shingles from another person with shingles but a person who has never had chickenpox could get the virus form direct contact with the fluid within the blister. This is rare. The Shingles Vaccine can prevent or lessen an occurrence of the shingles and its potential complications. Talk to your doctor about whether or not you should be vaccinated for the shingles or come to Thompson Pharmacy and talk to one of our pharmacists about the risks and benefits of the shingles and other vaccines now available at our immunization clinics at our Hollidaysburg and Juniata locations.

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