The shingles is a disease that is closely related to genital herpes and cold sores because it is caused by a virus from the same family of herpes viruses. The causative virus is the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chicken pox. The shingles is a disease that usually affects adults but is because of an exposure to the virus itself but rather because of a reactivation of the viral bodies from a chicken pox infection had as a child. There is no complete cure for this condition and patients will normally have to spend two weeks at home until the problem completely goes away. Shingles can reoccur more than once but it is quite rare to see the condition resurface more than three times. The exact trigger mechanisms for the varicella zoster virus to suddenly emerge from its state of suspended animation are not well understood; though it is believed that the onset of some immune deficiency is the causative factor. This would explain why the shingles occur with old age.
The varicella zoster virus affects humans with chicken pox. This disease is not lethal and most children fall prey to it though it never recurs because the immune system will recognize the pathogen if it ever resurfaces. The disease is acquired through a droplet infection though once you have the disease, the blisters that form on the skin contain the virus and will infect someone without prior exposure to the disease. Chickenpox clears up very fast but the virus itself is not completely destroyed. Once the body starts to take action against the pathogen, the virus retreats into the nerve cells, near the spinal cord and it is here that the virus will enter into a state of suspended animation. A trigger at a much later stage in life will reactivate the virus, which will spread using the nerve pathways again to the surface of the skin causing painful blisters. This clears up in a fortnight and might be accompanied by fever.
The only treatment for the condition is a drug called acyclovir or valcyclovir. These are the only drugs that are effective against the herpes virus and works by disrupting the cell division. The action of this drug is very different from other anti-virals that neuramindase inhibitors like oseltamvir. There is some evidence that tea tree oil is effective against the herpes virus in cold sores and therefore you could use this for topical applications.