PROGNOSIS
The prognosis for shingles depends on the case. After someone receives treatment, the symptoms should go away in 1-3 weeks after treating. Only about 10-15% of people will experience pain after the symptoms subside. This is called PHN, and it normally occurs in patients older than 50 yo. Complications that could occur are that the infection would have spread to organs. Some will also experience scarring from the bumps on the skin. In an eighth of patients, people will experience eye complications due to the ophthalmic part of the condition (herpes zoster ophthalmicus) which messes with the eyes. Even after treatment (the issuing of drugs) shingles still often comes back during a person's lifetime. Additionally, people with shingles will have a weakened immune system.
neuralgia is the damaging of a nerve which often leads to pain like burning and itching. People experience this in the trigeminal nerve in the face, and the condition cannot be treated.