Shingles can be a very painful experience that affects around one in four adults in their lifetime. The infection, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus which also causes chickenpox. The virus is extremely common, with more than 90 per cent of the world’s population having it. It is usually contracted when people get chickenpox as children, but the virus does not go away, instead, it will lay dormant in the body’s nervous system for years. For about a third of people who get the virus, it will reactivate some years later and cause shingles. Here is everything you need to know about the symptoms of shingles and how to treat it: What are the symptoms? A person who gets shingles will experience a painful rash that can occur anywhere on the body. Early signs of shingles could be a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin, a headache or feeling generally unwell. According to the NHS, the rash usually looks like “a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or right side of your torso”. They appear as blotches on the skin that become itchy blisters, which can break and ooze fluid. The rash can be red, but this can be harder to see on brown or black skin. The rash can also appear on your face, eyes and genitals. If it appears around your eyes, it can affect your sight or hearing and make it hard to move one side of your face. According to the Mayo Clinic, if left untreated, the infection can lead to permanent eye damage. After a few days, the blisters will dry out and become scabs. If a rash appears on both the left and right side of the body, it is unlikely to be shingles. How is it treated? Shingles can take up to four weeks to heal, but can have more severe consequences in older people above the age of 50. If the symptoms are not serious, patients can take paracetamol to ease the pain and use a cool compress on the rash several times a day to soothe it. It is also recommended that you keep the area with the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection and wear loose-fitting clothing. But there are some situations in which it is recommended you contact your GP or call 111. Due to the heightened risk in older people, you should seek help if you are aged 50 or older. People with a weakened immune system should also contact the health service, as well as those who have a rash that is widespread and painful, or has appeared near an eye. Are shingles contagious? Shingles are not contagious and you cannot spread them. However, if you come into contact with someone who has not had chickenpox and has not been vaccinated against chickenpox, they could catch chickenpox from you. The NHS recommends you avoid being around pregnant people who have not had chickenpox before, people with a weakened immune system, and babies that are less than a month old. Is there a vaccine against shingles? Yes, but it is only available on the NHS to people in their 70s. Shingles can be fatal for around one in 1,000 over-70s who develop it. The vaccine injection only needs to be given once. However, some people who cannot have the routine vaccine for health reasons will need two doses. Getting the vaccine will reduce your risk of getting shingles, and if you do get it, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter. If you already had shingles, you can still get the vaccine to protect yourself against developing it again. You may have to wait up to one year after you have recovered from the illness before you can get the vaccine. Read More When do the clocks go back in the UK this year? Hibernation mode: 5 small self-care adjustments to make before the clocks change Want to be a useful man? Arnold Schwarzenegger is here to tell you how When do the clocks go back in the UK this year? Hibernation mode: 5 small self-care adjustments to make before the clocks change Want to be a useful man? Arnold Schwarzenegger is here to tell you how

The King’s coronation times with the very start of British cherry season, making this a gloriously seasonal trifle. The fruit is cooked with cherry jam to give just enough of a jelly effect to please those who like a jellied trifle. Add sponge soaked with the sweet nuttiness of amontillado sherry, lashings of rich custard and cream, and this trifle is definitely fit for a king. It’s incredibly quick to prepare, particularly if you make the custard ahead of time (or just buy some pre-made custard!). Best eaten the day you make it. Coronation sherry cherry trifle Ingredients: For the custard: 450ml whole milk 150ml double cream 1 vanilla pod 6 egg yolks 60g caster sugar For the trifle: 650g cherries (approx 500g pitted weight), plus a few extra for garnish, preferably with stalks 1 jar of cherry (or black cherry) jam, approx 340g 600ml double or whipping cream 100ml amontillado sherry 200g savoiardi biscuits 600ml vanilla custard (see above) 75g dark chocolate Equipment: A straight-sided glass trifle dish, 2.5 litre capacity Method: If making the custard for the trifle, do that first. Pour the milk and cream into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape out its seeds, and add the seeds and pod to the milk. Bring to a low simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside for 5 mins to infuse. Whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl. Discard the vanilla pod, then pour a little of the warm milk and cream into the egg yolk mix and whisk. Gradually add the rest, whisking continuously, then pour it all into a clean pan. Set over a gentle heat and stir constantly for 8-10 mins, taking care not to let the custard simmer, until it thickens and has the consistency of double cream – it will thicken more as it cools down. Set aside to cool before using in the trifle. Remove the stones from the cherries and put the fruit into a medium saucepan along with the jam and 25ml water. Gently cook for a few minutes, stirring, to soften the cherries. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool. Whip the cream in a large mixing bowl. Pour the sherry into a shallow bowl. Dip a third of the boudoir biscuits into the sherry, then use to line the base of the dish. Spoon over a third of the cherries, then a third of the custard, then a third of the whipped cream. Repeat these layers twice more. Put the trifle into the fridge for a couple of hours. Chop or grate the chocolate. Scatter over the trifle before serving, along with the remaining cherries. Recipe provided exclusively to The Independent from Borough Market Read More What is coronation chicken? The story of the royal recipe and how to make it Easy coronation chicken pie recipe chosen by Mary Berry Andi Oliver on turning 60 and channeling her anger into power Andi Oliver: Earl Grey tea bags are a gamechanger for barbecue chicken Caribbean-inspired coconut and lime cheesecake Can’t-believe-it’s-so-quick aromatic shrimp curry

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A TikTok influencer managed to cook a rack of baby back ribs in his hotel bathroom using only items found in his room. User @barfly7777 showed off the ingredients he bought - including char siu rub - before getting to work. He was seen putting the ribs in his makeshift oven - a pillow case - before heating it with a hairdryer. After tying the pillowcase closed, the “chef” suggests roasting the ribs for four hours, before adding honey glaze and cooking for a further three hours. He then shows off the finished meal - complete with corn and a jacket potato - after checking the temperature of the meat. Read More Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

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