How long does the pain last?

Pain occurring in the context of shingles can be distinguished from so-called zosteric pain, which occurs in the context of the disease in combination with the skin rash, and post-zosteric neuralgia, which occurs as a complication in the chronification of nerve pain. The zoster pain that occurs with shingles usually subsides after 3-4 weeks at the latest as the disease heals. If prophylactic pain therapy is started early, the pain can subside within a few days.

On the other hand, older people in particular are at increased risk of pain persistence. If the pain persists for longer than four weeks, this is called post-zosteric neuralgia. Post-zosteric neuralgia is a complication of shingles.

It is a chronic, recurrent pain due to the nerve damage caused by shingles.This pain can sometimes last for months or years. Older people with shingles in the head and neck area are particularly at risk. For the treatment of post-zosteric neuralgia an individual pain therapy is required.

Why is the pain worse at night?

Often patients with shingles report that pain increases during the night. As a result, sleep disorders often occur, which delay the further healing of the disease. One reason for the pain getting worse at night can be the lying position of the affected person. Additional pressure on the affected skin area when lying down can increase the pain. There is also the danger of rubbing the pustules of the rash while sleeping and thus increasing the pain for a short time.

Home remedies

In the context of the symptomatic pain therapy of shingles, numerous home remedies can also be used. Some of these are used to suppress the sensation of pain, to fight the viral pathogens and to cure the skin rash. However, they are only intended as an accompanying support to the drug treatment. For pain relief, quark and healing earth wraps are suitable, which have an antiseptic effect in addition to pain relief. In addition, chili patches and a local application of magnesium show good efficacy for pain in the context of shingles.