It’s possible to have a mild case of shingles and only experience slight tingling or itching with no painful blistering. People under the age of 50 with healthy immune systems tend to have milder symptoms.

Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a disease that causes a painful skin rash. It’s possible to have shingles and experience only mild symptoms like tingling or slight itching. But even a mild case of shingles can last for several weeks.

In this article, we explore what a mild case of shingles looks and feels like, as well as how long it lasts and how best to treat it.

A mild case of shingles can mean that you’re experiencing a shingles outbreak without a painful rash or fluid-filled blisters. Although mild cases may have a rash, typically, there are fewer lesions, less redness, and it’s not as painful.

Mild symptoms can include a tingling sensation on your skin or moderate itching that’s usually located on the stomach or torso. It can usually be relieved with over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications or soothing lotions.

Can you get shingles if you’ve had a shingles vaccine?

Although the shingles vaccine (Shingrix) helps to lower the risk of shingles in most people, it’s still possible to experience a shingles outbreak after receiving it. But the symptoms are generally less severe and do not last as long.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults over the age of 50 (and adults with weakened immune systems over the age of 19) get a shingles vaccination even if you’ve:

Most cases of shingles last 3 to 5 weeks.

Mild cases can last 2 weeks until fully resolved. A mild rash starts as small red patches and rapidly develops into fluid-filled blisters called vesicles. The vesicles — which may be itchy or painful — often rupture and then dry into scabs.

If your symptoms are not causing a great deal of pain or discomfort and can be eased with OTC medications (like Tylenol or Advil), consulting with a doctor may not be necessary.

But it’s important to make sure the symptoms do not worsen or that a rash appears near your face that could become serious.

How to treat a mild case of shingles at home

In addition to taking OTC pain medications, you can treat mild symptoms of shingles with home remedies to relieve itchiness like:

Wearing loose clothing with natural fibers can help to avoid irritating your skin. Eating foods high in vitamins A, B12, C, and E can help strengthen the immune system.

Can an initially mild case of shingles turn into a more severe case?

It’s possible for mild symptoms of shingles to develop into more severe symptoms. For example, a mild rash may spread, and painful, fluid-filled blisters may develop. People over the age of 60 with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of this happening.

There’s no cure for shingles, but there are treatment options. Antiviral medications may be prescribed for mild cases of shingles for people 60 years of age or older who have:

  • weakened immune systems
  • illnesses like HIV that weaken the immune system
  • a rash that spreads to areas beyond the stomach or torso

It’s possible to have a mild case of shingles and experience only mild symptoms like tingling or slight itching. But even a mild case of shingles can last up to 2 weeks.

People under the age of 50 with healthy immune systems tend to experience milder symptoms of shingles. Although there’s no cure for shingles, there are treatment options and home remedies that can help to ease the discomfort of mild symptoms.

If you’ve had shingles in the past, a shingles (Shingrix) vaccine can help prevent future occurrences of the disease.

The vaccination helps to lower the risk of shingles in the majority of patients. But it’s still possible to experience a shingles outbreak after receiving the vaccine, although the symptoms are generally less severe and don’t last as long.