What are the signs and symptoms of shingles?
The early signs of a shingles outbreak are so vague, they can easily be mistaken for another illness. They include: burning or shooting pain, numbness, tingling or itching in an isolated region on one side of the body or face. Mild flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fever, chills and nausea, may also be present. Lesions (the rash) appear on the skin from one to 14 days later, usually in a band on one side of the body, or clustered on one side of the face (where there previously was pain). In two to four days, these lesions become fluid-filled blisters. In two to four weeks, they slowly crust, scab and heal. Once the blisters heal, one may continue to have pain for a month or longer. The skin may also become discolored where the rash once was.
