preventing this is by a vaccines. 

several antiviral drugs are effective: famciclovir, vlacycolvir, acyclovir are ofen given, particularly to older people and to people with a weakened immune system. 

wet compresses are soothing, but pain relieving drugs are often required. NSAIDS or anti inflam. drugs are tried along with oral opiods. to prevent the bacterial infections from developing, people with shingles should keep the affected area skin clean and dry and don't scratch it. 

an infection that results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chicken pox. 

a painful skin eruptionof fluid filled blisters and sometimes results in chronic pain in the affected area.

Antibiotics given by mouth, such as penicillin, can cure the infection. For a severe infection, intravenous penicillin is needed. 

cold packs and drugs for pain may relieve dsicomfort. Funal foot infections may be an entry site for infection and may require treatment with antifungal drugs to prevent occurance. 

a superficial form of cellulitis typically caused by streptocci. They are painful, red, raised patch on the skin. 

the edges have a distince border and do not blend into the nearby normal skin. 

the patch feels warm and firm to the touch. occurs on legs and face. 

people often have fever, chills, malaise. 

multiple furuncles that are connected to one another below the skin surface. Bacteria may spread from the abscess to infect the surrounding tissues and lymphnodes.

person may have a fever and feel sick.

a skin abscess may go away with application of warm compress. otherwise a doctor treats an abscess by cutting and draining the pus. it is then washedout with a sterile salt solution. Gauze is removed 24-48 hours later.

if the abscess is completley drained, antibiotics are not needed. however, if the abscess in the middle or upper part of face, antibiotics that kill staph, such as dicloacilli and cephalexin may be used so infection no spread to brain. 

a skin infetion, caused by staph aures or strep pyogenes. 

leads to the formation of scabby, yellow crusted sores, and sometimes small blisters with yellow fluid.

yeah.

topical: emolliants, corticosteroids, often used together with calcipotriene, a vitamin D derivatie, or coal tar or pine tar. 

Tazarotene or anthralin may also be used. very thick patches can be with ointments containing salicylic acid.

psoriasis

most of these ointments can be irritating to the skin--have to try what worksfor the person. 

for serious forms of this disease and psoriatic arthritis, drugs taken by mouth are used. 

cyclosporine, methotrexate, and acitretin. 

inflammation of the upper layers of the skin, causing itching, blisters, redness, swelling, and often oozing, scabbing, and scaling. 

palliative care. sometimes corticosteriods.

a skin reaction characterized by pale, slightly elevated swellings, (wheals) that are surrounded by a red area and have clearly defined borders.

one or a few spots may appear on the toes or leg, or spots may appear anywhere on the body, then spread to other areas, including internal organs. 

although this can be identified by sight, doctors need to confirm with biopsy. 

spots may be removed with radiation therapy, but if it is agressive, treatment involves inferferon-alpha and chemotherapy drugs. 

this cancer occurs in:

-Older men, of mediterranean or Jewish heritage

-Children and young adults from certain parts of Africa

-People recieving immunosuppressants after organ transplantation

-People with AIDS

maybe irregular, flat or raised brown patches of skin with spots of different colors of firm black or gray lumps.

do biopsy. 

they are removed, but if it has spread, chemotherapy drugs are used.

can begin on normal skin or existing moles. 

doctos cut them out, take a border of 1/2 inch (1 cm), of skin around the tumor. 

If they have grown about 1/32 inch (1 mm) into skin, they have a greater chance of metastasizing throug the lymphatic and blood vessels.

melanoma

chemotherapy is often used if spread, but few are cured. 

cancer that originates in the keratinocytes.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

thick, scaly growths appear on the skin and do not heal. 

doctors do a biopsy. 

Treatment is with surgery, chemotherapy drugs applied to skin and sometimes radiation. 

It can be fatal if it spreads to other parts of body. 

an early form of Squamous Cell Carcinoma that is confined to the epidermis and has not yet invaded the deeper layers of skin. 

Bowens.

doctors treat this by scraping and burning the tumor with an electric needle (curettage and electrodesiccation) by cutting the tumor out, or by applying chemotherapy drugs to the skin. 

A technique called Mohs microscopically controlled surgery may be used. Sometimes radiation treatments are used. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma and

Bowen's Cell Carcinoma

cancer that orginates in the outer layer of the skin.

usually, a small, shiny bump appears on the skin and enlarges slowly. 

the bumps may break open and form a scab, sometimes with bleeding, or become flat, resembling a scar.

doctors need to do a biopsy, even though it can be identified via sight.

surgery removed it, and chemotherapy drugs may also be applied to skin.

Doctors remove the cancer in the office by scrapping and burning it with an electric needle (curette and electrodesication) or by cuting it out. Also, certain chemotherapy drugs may be applied to the skin. A technique called Mohs microscopically controlled surgery may be required for some basal cell carcinomas that regrow in some areas, such as around the eyes.

rarely, radiation treatment is used.