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Treatments for Shingles

by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

En Español (Spanish Version)

While there are no treatments to cure shingles, there are treatment goals, such as:

Shortening the length of the illness
Preventing complications, such as post-herpetic neuralgia
Relieving pain and discomfort
Preventing the rash from becoming infected

Treatment involves:

At this time, there are no surgical procedures for the treatment of shingles.

NINDS shingles information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/shingles.htm. Updated January 10, 2013. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Shingles. The American Academy of Dermatology website. Available at: http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/q---t/shingles. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Shingles. American Academy of Family Physicians' FamilyDoctor.org website. Available at: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/shingles.html. Updated January 2011. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Shingles (herpes zoster). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/overview.html. Updated January 10, 2011. Accessed September 7, 2012.

Stankus SJ, Dlugopolski M, Packer D. Management of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia. Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(8). Available at: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0415/p2437.html. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Zoster. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/. Updated May 20, 2013. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Last reviewed May 2013 by Peter Lucas, MD; Michael Woods, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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Treatments for Shingles