Postherpetic neuralgia

Updated: 2023-10-12

Description

The most common complication of shingles, causing burning pain in nerves and skin long after a shingles rash and blisters heal.

Overview

Postherpetic neuralgia happens if nerve fibers get damaged during an outbreak of shingles. Risk factors for postherpetic neuralgia include being older than 60, getting shingles on your face or torso, not getting treatment for shingles within 72 hours of the rash appearing, and not getting the shingles vaccine.

Symptoms

Postherpetic neuralgia symptoms tend to be limited to the area of skin where the shingles outbreak first happened. The symptoms might include pain that lingers for months, not being able to stand anything touching the area where the rash was, and itching or loss of feeling in that area.

Treatments

Postherpetic neuralgia has no cure but it often gets better over time. Various treatments can ease the pain. These include medicines that come in the form of skin patches, pills or shots.