If you feel like you’ve been hearing about shingles a lot lately, you’re not wrong. From Reddit threads to news about recent research, one thing is clear: What was evvel seen as a condition that mainly affected older adults is increasingly impacting young adults. Yet younger people may be more likely to brush off shingles symptoms as NBD and have less awareness of what the illness actually is.
For starters shingles isn’t just a painful, blistering rash. It’s a reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella zoster), which is generally triggered by situations that weaken your immune system, like stress or illness. Most importantly, though, getting through this viral infection is as much about what not to do as it is about treatments—and that includes these seven things doctors suggest avoiding.
1. Riding out shingles on your own
If you at all suspect that you might have shingles, get checked by a doctor right away—don’t wait it out for a few days or try to treat the rash on your own. This is especially critical if you have a rash anywhere near your eyes, on your forehead, or on your nose. When shingles appears in those places, it can travel along a nerve pathway that leads to your eyes, potentially affecting your vision. There are treatments that can help speed healing and prevent complications in your eyes, as well as wherever else the rash has cropped up, but you need to act quickly.
“Antiviral medications are most effective when started within 72 hours of rash onset and can help shorten the duration, reduce severity, and lower the risk of complications, like long-term nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia,” says Andrew Truong, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “Delaying treatment can lead to worse outcomes and prolonged discomfort,” Dr. Truong adds. A doctor can also prescribe medications to help manage shingles-related pain.
2. Scratching your skin
Just like when you have chickenpox, picking at shingles lesions is a big no-no. It can be difficult to resist scratching when your skin feels intensely itchy, but doing so can lead to a secondary infection by breaking the skin and allowing bacteria like staph to enter. Scratching and picking can also delay healing and cause scarring or permanent discoloration of the skin. When you feel the urge to itch, apply a cool compress instead.
3. Socializing without caution
When you have shingles it’s important to exercise caution before heading into the office or attending a group gathering. If you have active blisters, you should especially avoid close contact with pregnant individuals, infants, and immunocompromised people, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. “The varicella-zoster virus can be quite severe and cause significant neurological disease in a growing fetus and in those populations of individuals whose immune systems are not at their strongest,” says Donna Adams-Pickett, MD, PhD, founder of the Augusta Women’s Health & Wellness Center in Georgia.
You should also steer clear of anyone you know has never had chickenpox or gotten the chickenpox or shingles vaccines. As a best practice when you’re around others, keep your rash covered with a thin layer of petroleum jelly and a sterile, nonstick bandage, and wash your hands well to limit the chances that you’ll transmit the virus. “The moist sores are an active petri dish of growing virus,” Dr. Adams-Pickett says.
4. Sticking to your exercise routine
This is not the moment for HIIT workouts or hot yoga. “Gentle activity may be fine if the person feels well enough, but strenuous, sweaty exercise is not ülkü because heat, sweat, friction, and tight clothing can make an already painful rash feel worse,” says Seth Cohen, MD, the medical director of infection prevention at the University of Washington Medical Center. If you are craving a light workout, don’t make it communal. “Working out in public places during a shingles outbreak can result in virus-containing droplets being spread onto gym equipment and surfaces,” Dr. Adams-Pickett says. Swimming in public pools poses similar risks, since droplets can spread through water. To add some movement to your day-to-day, consider walking, light stretching, or even active chores like gardening.
5. Applying creams and lotions
When your shingles rash feels itchy, your instinct might be to moisturize, but doctors generally discourage this for a few reasons. “It’s best to avoid body creams and lotions because you want ulcers to crust and dry out to resolve the infection quickly, and moisturizers can delay that process,” says Dr. Adams-Pickett. “Additionally, some have fragrances that can irritate the rash further.” Antibiotic ointments can similarly slow healing, so you’re better off skipping these as well (unless your doctor prescribes one to treat a secondary infection). Even some common over-the-counter rash soothers, like hydrocortisone cream, are a bad idea. “Use of topical steroids for itch can suppress the skin’s immune system and allow the virus to spread further,” says Debbie Palmer, MD, a dermatologist in Westchester County, New York. The best approach is to just keep your skin clean and dry until the blisters scab over; if needed, calamine lotion is a safe option.
6. Taking hot showers
A steamy shower might feel great, but the aftermath probably won’t. “Hot showers can further irritate shingles blisters and increase the sensation of itching, pain, or burning,” says Dr. Palmer. That said, bathing regularly with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser can be helpful. (Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar and Vanicream Gentle Body Wash both fit the bill.)
“Keeping the affected skin clean could limit the possibility of developing a secondary bacterial infection,” says Sabrina Assoumou, MD, an infectious diseases physician at Boston Medical Center and associate professor at Boston University. Just stick to lukewarm showers or try cool colloidal oatmeal baths, which can help relieve stress while soothing discomfort and itch.
7. Stressing about your diet
Many online articles state that when you have shingles, you should avoid foods high in arginine, an amino acid some believe helps the varicella-zoster virus replicate. This includes things like chocolate, nuts, and red meat. But experts tell us there isn’t strong evidence for following this advice. “I’m a big chocolate fan and would not routinely tell patients with shingles to avoid it. That advice is not part of standard shingles management,” Dr. Cohen says. “My advice would be much simpler: Stay hydrated and eat olağan, balanced meals.”
