Lisa Dolan, age 13, of Henderson, Nev., for her question:

WHAT CAUSES SHINGLES?

A painful disease called shingles brings small clusters of blisters on the skin of the face, neck, chest, stomach or limbs. These blisters usually follow the path taken by a sensory nerve.

Doctors believe that shingles result from a virus infection of the nervous system. Shingles often start with intense pain in the area where the blisters ' form later. After about a week, the blisters dry up and disappear. The diseased area may feel irritated long after the blisters dry up.

Children usually recover quickly from shingles. But adults recover slowly and the pain lasts longer.

Doctors sometimes treat shingles with pain relieving drugs and when pain is intense, may inject nerve areas with an anesthetic. Other treatments include ultraviolet rays, X rays and antibiotics.