Shingles is a painful rash that is caused by the varicella zoster virus. It usually appears as a band or strip of blisters on one side of the body that goes from the spine around the front to the breastbone. However, shingles can also appear on the neck, nose and forehead. Shingles derives from the same

Scabies is a harmless but very itchy and highly contagious skin condition caused by mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs. Symptoms include a severe itch, often worse at nighttime, and thin burrow tracks made of tiny bumps or blisters on the skin. Humans are allergic to the mites, which is what

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. It is relatively rare, but can cause serious damage to the heart, lungs and brain. The difficulty lies in diagnosis because many people are unaware that they've been bitten by a tick. Three types of ticks transmit the Rickettsia

Ringworm is a common fungal infection, especially among children, that appears on different parts of the body. It is characterized by ring-shaped, scaly and itchy patches of the skin. The patches may blister or ooze fluid. Ringworm is contagious and can be passed from person to person or through contact

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness and inflammatory disease that spreads through tick bites. Deer ticks house the spirochete bacterium (Borellia burgdorferi) in their stomachs. When one of these ticks bites the human skin, it may pass the bacteria into the body. These ticks tend to be attracted to creases

A skin inflammation that occurs in warm, moist folds of the body where two skin surfaces chafe against each other. It most commonly appears on the inner thighs, armpits, groin, the crease on the back of the neck, the bottom of breasts in women and below the belly in obese people. It can be caused by

Impetigo is a common skin infection usually found in children and infants. It is characterized as single or multiple blisters filled with pus, which pop easily and leave a reddish, raw-looking base and/or honey-colored crust. In most children, impetigo first appears near the nose and then spreads through

Granuloma is a generic term that refers to a small nodule. It can be any type of nodule, from benign to malignant. Granulomas occur throughout the body. Two types of granuloma apply expressly to the skin: Pyogenic Granuloma. Pyogenic granuloma looks like small, reddish bumps on the skin that tend to

A group of viral infections that cause sores on the mouth (oral herpes) or genitals (genital herpes).. There are two types of Herpes Simplex Virus: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 is the most common form of herpes that affects most people at least once during childhood. It is passed from person-to-person

Folliculitis is an inflammation of one or more hair follicles. It appears as a rash or white-headed pimples or pustules near a hair follicle. It can occur anywhere on the body, but typically affects hairy areas, such as the neck or groin. Follicles can be damaged from repeated friction (such as rubbing

A particular type of skin infection (cellulitis) that is characterized by blisters; skin that is red, swollen, warm and/or painful to the touch; or by lesions with raised borders that most frequently appear on the face or legs. It also appears as sores on the cheeks and bridge of the nose. It is usually

Chicken pox is a common illness, particularly among children. It is characterized by itchy red spots or blisters all over the body. Chicken pox is caused by the Herpes Varicella Zoster virus. It is highly contagious, but most cases are not dangerous. Chicken pox can be passed on from two to three days

Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection that is caused by either Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria. Both of these bacteria occur naturally on the skin. A break or cut in the skin causes the bacteria to enter the body, which leads to an active infection. Cellulitis most often occurs from: cracking

Candidiasis is the medical term for yeast infections in the body. There are three forms of candidiasis that relate specifically to the skin: Oral Candidiasis (Oral Thrush). This infection is characterized by lacy, white patches on top of reddened areas that occur on the tongue, throat or elsewhere

Also known as skin abscesses, boils form as a result of a cut or break in the skin, which leads to a bacterial infection. They are characterized as a red, tender area with a painful, pus-filled center that can open spontaneously or by surgical incision. Some boils are caused by an ingrown hair. Others