Your doctor will prescribe antiviral eye drops, pills, or both. Take what he gives you for as long as he says to take it. Your eye might start to look or feel better soon, but the infection could come back if you stop treatment too soon.

He might also give you steroid eye drops. They can control the disease if you get them at the right time, but they can also raise eye pressure. You’ll need regular office visits during treatment so the doctor can keep track of it.

You could also get an eye drop that keeps your pupil dilated (open). It will prevent spasms in your eye muscles and ease your pain.

It might start to look better after a few days, but still hurt. That doesn’t mean that treatment isn’t working. The medications will do their job, and the pain will go away.

It’s rare, but if you have the kind of virus that causes shingles, your eye could hurt for weeks or months. If that happens, your doctor might try other options, like sending you to a chronic pain specialist.