Sylvia Novak, age 12, of Great Falls, Mont., for her question:

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE GET PAINFUL SHINGLES?

Shingles is a painful disease in which small clusters of blisters form on the skin of the face, neck, chest, stomach or limbs. Doctors believe that shingles results from a viral infection of the nervous system. We don't know why the virus only hits certain people.

Painful blisters usually follow the path taken by the sensory or feeling nerve. Medical authorities call shingles "herpes zoster."

Quite often, shingles start with intense pains in the area where the blisters form later. The blisters are usually white or pink. At first they contain a colorless liquid, but pus may form later. After a week, the blisters usually dry up and disappear.

The diseased area may feel irritated long after the blisters dry up.

Fortunately, children usually recover quickly from shingles. But adults recover slowly and the pain lasts longer.

Doctors treat shingles with pain relieving drugs. Sometimes injections with an anesthetic are given. Other treatments may include ultraviolet rays, X rays and antibiotics.