(The Best Years in Life) While the agony of shingles will not kill you, the disease can make you want to die from pain and itching. An infectious disease that often effects the elderly, the shingles virus usually enters the body when you contract chicken pox; however a chicken pox or shingles vaccine can also trigger a shingles outbreak. It causes a contagious rash predominantly on one side of the upper body that lasts for several weeks. Home remedies provide relief from shingles and combine well with homeopathic treatment to eliminate the disease. Read More.