Medical Minute: Shingles Eye Treatment

There's a potential new treatment for people who develop shingles that spread to the eye. Doctors say about 8% of shingles cases impact the eyes, and now, for the first time there's a new treatment plan that might help.

Shingles, also called zoster, looks like blisters on the skin and can be excruciating

It's the chickenpox virus that reactivates causing a rash and nerve pain. Shingles of the eye can cause scarring and vision loss.

That's what happened to eye surgeon Dr. Elisabeth Cohen, who was forced to stop operating. She tested a new way to treat shingles of the eye with an antiviral drug for a year rather than the usual seven to 10 days.

Patients with zoster eye disease, who received a placebo, had a 44% risk of developing new or worsening eye disease over the next 18 months. With low-dose daily Valacyclovir or Valtrex, that risk was 22% lower at 12 months and became 26% lower at 18 months.

"It can take a long time to kind of get those nerves back to a healthy point," said Dr. Christopher Starr, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Starr is an eye surgeon who did not take part in the study.

"This will change the way I practice from here on out," he said.

Cohen's research is waiting for peer review and publication. There is a vaccine for shingles that's more than 90% effective but only about a quarter of eligible adults get it.

"I'm hoping that we help a lot of people," Cohen said. "I really, that is my ultimate hope."

The shingles vaccine is recommended for healthy adults over the age of 50 per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.