But can an employee work with shingles? They can come back once they feel better, in the event of a fever—but if they have a rash on exposed skin, they should really stay off work until this has crusted over. If the blisters are located in an area you can cover with bandages or clothing you may get back to work as soon as you feel well enough to do so. If the blisters are located on the face, you should not go back to work until they have crusted over (usually within 7 to 10 days). Can You Still Go to Work if You Have Shingles? Definitely not. 06314620. Please complete the form below and we'll be in touch to answer your enquiry, Thank you for completing the form, we'll be in touch soon to see how we can best handle your enquiry, Please complete the form and we'll be in touch to schedule your free consultation. Pregnant women are not unusually susceptible to shingles but if shingles develops near the end of pregnancy, the fetus may be harmed. They can come back once they feel better, in the event of a fever—but if they have a rash on exposed skin, they should really stay off work until this has crusted over. These susceptible people, if exposed to the shingles virus, will not develop shingles, but they could develop chickenpox and eventually shingles if the viruses reactivate in the nerves at a later date. Anyone who has already had chickenpox or has received the chickenpox vaccine, and is otherwise healthy, should be protected and at no risk when around a patient with shingles. Shingles causes a painful rash, itching, and burning skin, and lasts for 3 to 5 weeks in most cases. The symptoms and signs generally aren’t serious enough to stop the average office worker, if they grit their teeth and ignore the rash. If you work as a nurse or in a care home, you likely don’t need to ask yourself ‘should I be working with shingles?’ the answer is obvious—lookout for the people you care for. So, really, you shouldn’t need much time off. If someone is taking shingles sick leave, they shouldn’t need a lot of time off. Mostly, these won’t have an effect on an ability to work a desk job. You can call us on: 0844 892 2493. Last week I went to the doctor for painful rash symptoms on my face and chest, and she diagnosed me with shingles. Can you still go to work if you have shingles? Stay away from certain groups of people if you have shingles. I’ve already missed five days of work and I still have rashes that hurt my chest and torso, but the facial signs are mostly gone. This can take around seven days. So, care workers, nurses, teachers etc: can you go to work if you have shingles? We appologise but an error has occurred submitting your form. infections centerTopic Guide. You might be asking yourself, 'can I go to work with shingles?'. Other symptoms include: For some people, especially the elderly or those with a weakened immune system, shingles can be a serious condition. My doctor told me I could only pass on the chicken pox virus/not shingles if someone touched the spots.It is not an air born virus. But it’s up to you to exercise your judgment—and avoid presenteeism! Consequently, these individuals may get shingles at a later time in life, as can anyone who has had chickenpox. Some days I feel fine and at other times I can be in a lot of pain with no energy. Registered Address: The Peninsula, Victoria Place, Manchester M4 4FB, UK Copyright 2020 Health Assured, Pain, numbness and tingling in affected areas, Oral pain meds and steroid injections, in severe cases. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a non-life threatening viral infection. I’d really like to save the rest of my sick days. Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another, but the varicella zoster virus that causes shingles also causes chickenpox, and the virus can spread and cause chickenpox in a person who has not had chickenpox before or not received the chickenpox vaccine.. The major symptoms of shingles—the rash, itching, fever etc.—are usually cleared up in a couple of weeks. Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another, but the varicella zoster virus that causes shingles also causes chickenpox, and the virus can spread and cause chickenpox in a person who has not had chickenpox before or not received the chickenpox vaccine. However, shingles can transmit chickenpox. Learn the typical shingles recovery, how much time off work you may need, and the potential risk of post-herpetic neuropathy. Shingles, unlike chicken pox, are not contagious. The only time you will need to stay off work is if the rash is oozing fluids, commonly referred to as weeping, and cannot be covered. Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD coauthored this article. Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash common in adults over age 50. Registered in England and Wales No. ... Stay off work or school if … Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful rash common in adults over age 50. And it can come back as shingles, even after a period of years has passed. We will aim to get back to you as soon as possible. ©2018 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved. Susceptible individuals include babies, young children, and unvaccinated individuals, so people with shingles are actually contagious for VZV infections in the form of chickenpox. It’s found dormant in nerve tissue near your spinal cord. However, people who have never had chickenpox and have not received the chickenpox vaccine are susceptible to infection by a patient with shingles. I got Shingles 1-29-2010 and Stay out work 2 weeks but if you can I would try to stay out longer when the pain comes you will need that time to rest and not be at work - sorry so say - but that pain is the worst - its been 2 years and a few weeks I still have pain and or taking 2 pain pills for the pain and gabsentin (not sure how to spell it) so take it easy It’s only through direct contact, but since chickenpox in adults and vulnerable people is deadly serious, it’s probably best to insist that employees take medical leave for shingles. If someone is taking shingles sick leave, they shouldn’t need a lot of time off. Maybe. Ideally, anyone suffering an actual illness should stay at home. Get advice from 111 as soon as possible if you think you have it. Ask your doctor ‘how long should you stay off work with shingles’  to see what they think. Technically, yes. Consequently, people consider the condition classified as fitting into disease categories that include both infectious diseases and neurological disorders. As mentioned earlier, shingles is not contagious (able to spread) in the sense that people who are exposed to a patient with shingles will not "catch shingles." The main symptoms of shingles are a skin rash with blistering—usually, this clears within a couple of weeks, though in some extreme cases it can linger for years. If you have any questions about shingles and work, beyond the advice here, please contact our expert advisors. Office workers, construction workers etc: should you be working with shingles? But in severe cases, with complications like eye infections or severe postherpetic neuralgia (pain that continues after the virus has cleared up), you might need much longer. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox—in fact after you’ve recovered from a bout of chickenpox, the virus remains in your body. You’ll probably feel pretty rotten, and you’ll have an itchy rash. Question. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It's not unusual for employees to wonder how long to stay off work with shingles. Shingles recovery stages can span anywhere from 3 weeks to several months, depending on complications from shingles. eMedicineHealth does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please try again. Determining when it is safe for you to return to work depends on where your blisters are located, and the type of place where you work. Your skin can be painful for weeks after the rash has gone, but it usually settles over time. home Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash. You might be a bit crusty and oozy, and it’s possible that you may be a risk to others, especially if you work in close proximity to vulnerable people. Topic Guide. Even though shingles may not be contagious, the virus varicella-zoster can be spread from one person to another. Presenteeism is a very real thing, and detrimental to the workplace culture. I feel tired, nervy and cold all the time. I have been off work for two weeks. Covering the rash that occurs with shingles with a dressing or clothing helps decrease the risk of spreading the infection to others. If you work in a healthcare facility, talk to your doctor about when it is safe for you to return to the workplace. See Additional Information. People usually only experience shingles once, but the infection can recur.

shingles time off work

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shingles time off work 2020