Shingles Treatment and Advice Service

About this service

Shingles Treatment and Advice Service
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The Pharmacy First scheme allows our expert teams to assess and supply and, if appropriate, treatments for Shingles for adults aged over 18.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.

It can start with a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin, often with a headache and generally feeling unwell.

The rash appears as blotches, most often on the chest and body, but sometimes on your face hands and genitals. It appears on one side of your body only. If a rash appears across both sides it is unlikely to be shingles. 

Our trained pharmacist will also ask some questions to get a bit more detail about the infection.

They will also check for any other conditions or symptoms that may need them to refer you to another NHS service for further checks.

This is a free NHS service if you are exempt from prescription changes.

Our pharmacy team will also give you other advice and suggest other treatments for the relief of symptoms.

This is a drop-in service but you may want to check with the pharmacy before heading to your local branch.

Our teams on hand to supply treatments for shingles in adults over 18. Effective treatment options and advice for shingles sufferers in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Scunthorpe, South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire with Pharmacy First.

Shingles images

 

Available at the following pharmacies

Branches

FAQs

What is shingles?

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and is a viral infection that affects adults who have previously had chickenpox. Shingles presents as a rash which is caused by the activation of dormant chickenpox virus particles. This can occur many years after the initial chickenpox infection. The virus shows as small clusters of blisters on the skin, typically found down one side of the body or face – including your eyes. If you have a rash that is a small cluster of painful blisters and is concentrated on one side of the body, visit your local Weldricks pharmacy and speak to the pharmacy today!

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Symptoms of shingles include: • Pain and discomfort: Shingles can cause pain in the form of burning, tingling, stabbing, numbness and itching of the skin. • Rash: Small clusters of red blisters appear typically down one side of the body or face (most commonly on the torso). • Fluid filled blisters: The blisters will contain fluid, blood or pus and can be very painful. The blisters can burst and eventually crust over. • Sensitive skin: Affected areas of the skin can become sensitive to touch. • Flu like symptoms: Some patients experience flu like symptoms which can include fever, fatigue and headache.

What causes shingles?

Shingles appears in patients that have previously had chickenpox. Once the chickenpox has cleared up the virus may lay dormant in the body. Many years later the virus can reactivate leading to shingles. Common triggers for shingles are: • Weakened immune system: this can occur through medication taken or previous illnesses. • Aging: the risk of developing shingles increases with age due to a reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system as we age. • Stress: High levels of stress, both physical and emotional can weaken the immune system and trigger the dormant virus.

Can I treat shingles at home?

Steps can be taken at home to support with the treatment of shingles. These are: • Clean: Keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection. • Paracetamol: Paracetamol can be taken to ease the pain if needed. • Clothing: Wear loose fitting clothing. • Cold compress: Apply a cold compress to the rash area throughout the day. • Plasters/dressings: Avoid plasters or dressings sticking to the rash area. • Avoid antibiotic creams as this will slow down the healing process.

Can shingles come back once I have, had it?

Typically, a person will only experience the shingles condition once, however in some rare cases shingles can recur. This is usually seen with patients who have a low immune system. As shingles is a virus it will lay dormant in the body once the rash has disappeared. Your body’s immune system will effectively manage this dormant virus to keep it at bay, if your immune system is compromised in any way it may not be as effective in managing the virus.

Can children get shingles?

Shingles does not typically affect children as it is more common in adults over 60, but the risk of shingles continues to increase as you age, so teenagers are at higher risk than younger children. There are factors that can increase the risk of a child having shingles, these include: • Having chickenpox before they are one year old. • If the mother had chickenpox in the latter stages of pregnancy. • If a child has had an allergic reaction to the vaccine and didn’t receive the second dose. • Have a weakened immune system and have had chickenpox.

Who is the Pharmacy First Shingles service for?

This service is available for anyone over 18 years of age.