What are the first signs of oral herpes. How is oral herpes transmitted. What are the stages of oral herpes infection. How is oral herpes diagnosed and treated. When should you seek medical care for oral herpes.

Understanding Oral Herpes: Causes and Transmission

Oral herpes is a common viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two main types of HSV that can cause oral herpes:

• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) – responsible for about 80% of oral herpes cases
• Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) – causes the remaining 20% of cases

The virus is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with infected saliva, mucous membranes, or skin. Due to its contagious nature, most people have been exposed to at least one herpes subtype by adulthood.

How does oral herpes transmission occur. Oral herpes can be transmitted through various forms of close contact, including:

• Kissing
• Sharing utensils, lip balm, or other personal items
• Touching an active cold sore and then touching another person
• Oral sex

Understanding the transmission methods is crucial for preventing the spread of oral herpes.

The Three Stages of Oral Herpes Infection

Oral herpes infection progresses through three distinct stages:

1. Primary Infection

During this initial stage, the virus enters the skin or mucous membranes and begins to reproduce. Symptoms may or may not appear during this phase. When symptoms do occur, they typically include oral sores, fever, and other flu-like symptoms.

2. Latency

After the primary infection, the virus moves to a cluster of nerve cells in the spine called the dorsal root ganglion. Here, it reproduces again and then becomes dormant. This dormant state can last for extended periods.

3. Recurrence

Various triggers, such as stress, illness, or environmental factors, can cause the virus to reactivate. When this happens, new sores and symptoms may appear.

It’s important to note that not everyone who contracts the virus will experience all three stages. Some individuals may have asymptomatic infections, meaning they carry the virus but never develop noticeable symptoms.

Recognizing Oral Herpes Symptoms

The symptoms of oral herpes can vary from person to person, but common signs include:

• Painful sores on the lips, gums, tongue, roof of the mouth, and inside the cheeks
• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Irritability
• Difficulty eating or drinking due to pain

What is the typical progression of oral herpes symptoms. The development of oral herpes symptoms usually follows this pattern:

1. A tingling, burning, or itching sensation at the infection site
2. The appearance of small, fluid-filled blisters
3. Blisters breaking open, forming shallow gray ulcers on a red base
4. Formation of crusts or scabs as the sores begin to heal

The incubation period for oral herpes (the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of symptoms) is typically 2-12 days, with an average of 4 days. Once symptoms appear, they usually last for 2-3 weeks.

Diagnosing Oral Herpes: When to Seek Medical Care

While many cases of oral herpes can be managed at home, there are situations where medical attention is necessary. You should contact your healthcare provider if:

• You’re unable to eat or drink due to pain, which may lead to dehydration
• You’re unsure about the cause of the sores
• You have a weakened immune system
• The infected person is an infant under 8 weeks old

How do doctors diagnose oral herpes. In most cases, a healthcare provider can diagnose oral herpes based on the characteristic appearance of the sores and your reported symptoms. However, if a definitive diagnosis is needed, they may perform additional tests such as:

• Viral culture of a sample from the sores
• Tzanck smear (a staining test)
• Antigen and antibody studies
• Blood tests for antibodies

These tests can help confirm the presence of the herpes simplex virus and determine which type is causing the infection.

Treatment Options for Oral Herpes

While there is no cure for oral herpes, various treatment options can help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of outbreaks.

Self-Care Measures

For mild cases of oral herpes, self-care measures can be effective in managing symptoms:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and muscle aches
• Applying ice or warm compresses to the sores for relief
• Using over-the-counter antiviral creams or ointments
• Avoiding acidic or salty foods that may irritate the sores
• Staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest

Medical Treatments

For more severe cases or frequent recurrences, your healthcare provider may recommend antiviral medications. These can help shorten the duration of outbreaks and reduce their frequency:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
• Famciclovir (Famvir)

These medications can be taken orally or applied topically, depending on the severity of the outbreak and the individual’s needs.

Preventing Oral Herpes Transmission

While it’s not always possible to prevent oral herpes infection, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of transmission:

• Avoid kissing or engaging in oral sex when active sores are present
• Don’t share personal items like lip balm, utensils, or towels
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching a cold sore
• Use barrier methods (such as dental dams) during oral sex
• Consider taking antiviral medications if you experience frequent outbreaks

How effective are these prevention methods. While these measures can significantly reduce the risk of transmission, it’s important to note that the virus can still spread even when no visible sores are present. This is known as asymptomatic viral shedding.

Living with Oral Herpes: Long-Term Outlook

For most people, oral herpes is a manageable condition that doesn’t significantly impact their quality of life. However, it’s important to understand the long-term implications:

• Recurrent outbreaks: Many people experience periodic flare-ups, which may become less frequent over time
• Psychological impact: Some individuals may feel embarrassed or anxious about having herpes
• Potential complications: In rare cases, especially in people with weakened immune systems, herpes can lead to more serious health issues

Can oral herpes be cured. Currently, there is no cure for oral herpes. However, with proper management and treatment, most people can effectively control their symptoms and reduce the frequency of outbreaks.

Debunking Myths and Misconceptions about Oral Herpes

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding oral herpes. Let’s address some of the most common ones:

Myth 1: Only promiscuous people get herpes

Fact: Herpes is a common virus that can affect anyone, regardless of their sexual history. It’s often contracted during childhood through non-sexual contact.

Myth 2: You can only transmit herpes when you have visible sores

Fact: While the risk is highest when sores are present, the virus can still be transmitted through asymptomatic shedding.

Myth 3: Herpes always causes noticeable symptoms

Fact: Many people with herpes never experience symptoms or have such mild symptoms that they go unnoticed.

Myth 4: Oral herpes and genital herpes are completely different

Fact: Both oral and genital herpes can be caused by either HSV-1 or HSV-2. The distinction is based on the site of infection, not the virus type.

Understanding these facts can help reduce stigma and promote better awareness about oral herpes.

Oral Herpes Research: Current Studies and Future Prospects

Research into oral herpes is ongoing, with scientists working to develop better treatments and potential cures. Some areas of current research include:

• Gene editing techniques to eliminate the virus from infected cells
• Development of therapeutic vaccines to boost the immune system’s response to the virus
• Investigation of new antiviral compounds that could more effectively suppress viral replication
• Studies on the potential link between herpes and other health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease

What are the most promising developments in oral herpes research. While many studies are still in early stages, gene editing techniques and therapeutic vaccines show particular promise. These approaches could potentially lead to more effective treatments or even a cure for oral herpes in the future.

However, it’s important to note that developing new treatments and cures takes time. Many promising leads in laboratory studies may not translate into effective treatments in humans. Nonetheless, the ongoing research provides hope for improved management and potential eradication of oral herpes in the future.

Oral Herpes in Special Populations

While oral herpes can affect anyone, certain groups may face unique challenges or risks:

Infants and Young Children

Neonatal herpes, though rare, can be very serious. Infants can contract the virus during birth if the mother has an active genital herpes infection. In young children, oral herpes infections can be more severe and may require prompt medical attention.

Immunocompromised Individuals

People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy, may experience more severe and frequent outbreaks. They may also be at higher risk for complications.

Pregnant Women

Pregnant women with oral herpes should inform their healthcare provider. While transmission to the baby is rare with oral herpes, precautions may be necessary, especially if there’s an active outbreak near the time of delivery.

Athletes

Contact sports athletes may be at higher risk of transmitting or contracting oral herpes through skin-to-skin contact. This condition is sometimes referred to as “herpes gladiatorum” when it occurs in wrestlers.

How should management of oral herpes differ for these special populations. Treatment approaches may need to be adjusted for these groups. For example, immunocompromised individuals might require longer courses of antiviral medications, while pregnant women may need to avoid certain treatments. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice.

The Psychological Impact of Oral Herpes

While oral herpes is a physical condition, it can have significant psychological effects on those who live with it. Some common psychological challenges include:

• Anxiety about transmitting the virus to others
• Embarrassment or shame about having a visible outbreak
• Fear of rejection in romantic relationships
• Stress about potential outbreaks, which ironically can trigger outbreaks
• Feelings of isolation or stigma

How can individuals cope with the psychological impact of oral herpes. Several strategies can help:

1. Education: Learning about the condition can help dispel myths and reduce anxiety.
2. Open communication: Being honest with partners about the condition can alleviate fears and build trust.
3. Support groups: Connecting with others who have herpes can provide emotional support and practical advice.
4. Stress management: Techniques like meditation, yoga, or counseling can help manage stress, which may reduce outbreak frequency.
5. Positive self-talk: Reminding oneself that herpes is a common condition and doesn’t define one’s worth can boost self-esteem.

Remember, many people live full, happy lives with oral herpes. With proper management and a positive outlook, the psychological impact can be minimized.

Oral Herpes and Other Health Conditions

While oral herpes is often considered a standalone condition, research suggests it may have connections to other health issues:

Alzheimer’s Disease

Some studies have found a potential link between HSV-1 infection and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is needed to fully understand this relationship.

Ocular Herpes

In some cases, the herpes virus can spread to the eyes, causing a condition called ocular herpes. This can lead to vision problems if left untreated.

Erythema Multiforme

This is a skin condition that can sometimes be triggered by herpes simplex virus infections. It causes a distinctive rash that can appear on various parts of the body.

Eczema Herpeticum

People with atopic dermatitis (eczema) who contract the herpes virus can develop a severe, widespread viral infection called eczema herpeticum.

How does the presence of oral herpes affect the management of these conditions. The presence of oral herpes can complicate the treatment of these associated conditions. For example, individuals with both eczema and herpes may need to be particularly vigilant about preventing outbreaks to avoid eczema herpeticum. Similarly, those at risk for Alzheimer’s might discuss with their doctor whether more aggressive management of herpes infections could be beneficial.

It’s important to note that while these associations exist, having oral herpes doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop these other conditions. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized medical advice.

Oral Herpes

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Robert Brennan on March 22, 2023

• Oral Herpes Overview
• Oral Herpes Causes
• Oral Herpes Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Oral Herpes Treatment Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• More

Oral herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus causes painful sores on your lips, gums, tongue, roof of your mouth, and inside your cheeks. It also can cause symptoms such as fever and muscle aches.

• The herpes simplex virus affects only humans. Mouth sores most commonly occur in children aged 1-2 years, but they can affect people at any age and any time of the year.
• People contract herpes by touching infected saliva, mucous membranes, or skin. Because the virus is highly contagious, most people have been infected by at least 1 herpes subtype before adulthood.
• After the herpes virus infects you, it has a rather unique ability to proceed to 3 stages.
  • Primary infection: The virus enters your skin or mucous membrane and reproduces. During this stage, oral sores and other symptoms, such as fever, may develop.
    • The virus may not cause any sores and symptoms. You may not know that you have it. This is called asymptomatic infection.
    • Asymptomatic infection occurs twice as often as the disease with symptoms.
• Latency: From the infected site, the virus moves to a mass of nervous tissue in your spine called the dorsal root ganglion. There the virus reproduces again and becomes inactive.
• Recurrence: When you encounter certain stresses, emotional or physical, the virus may reactivate and cause new sores and symptoms.

Herpes simplex is a DNA virus that causes sores in and around your mouth. Two herpes subtypes may cause these sores.

• Herpes simplex virus, type 1 or herpes-1, which causes 80% of cases of oral herpes infections
• Herpes simplex virus, type 2 or herpes-2, which causes the rest

• Incubation period: For oral herpes, the amount of time between contact with the virus and the appearance of symptoms, the incubation period, is 2-12 days. Most people average about 4 days.
• Duration of illness: Signs and symptoms will last 2-3 weeks. Fever, tiredness, muscle aches, and irritability may occur.
  • Pain, burning, tingling, or itching occurs at the infection site before the sores appear. Then clusters of blisters erupt. These blisters break down rapidly and, when seen, appear as tiny, shallow, gray ulcers on a red base. A few days later, they become crusted or scabbed and appear drier and more yellow
• Oral sores: The most intense pain caused by these sores occurs at the onset and make eating and drinking difficult.
  • The sores may occur on the lips, the gums, the front of the tongue, the inside of the cheeks, the throat, and the roof of the mouth.
  • They may also extend down the chin and neck.
  • The gums may become mildly swollen and red and may bleed.
• Neck lymph nodes often swell and become painful.
• In people in their teens and 20s, herpes may cause a painful throat with shallow ulcers and a grayish coating on the tonsils.

When to call the doctor

• Because the sores are painful, you may have difficulty eating or drinking. To prevent dehydration, call your doctor as soon as you cannot eat or drink.
• Call your doctor immediately if any of these symptoms, which suggest dehydration, occur:
  • A decrease in urination (fewer wet diapers in infants)
  • Drowsiness
  • Irritability
  • Dry mouth
• Call your doctor if you or your children are not sure what the sores are.
• If your child is younger than 8 weeks, notify your doctor when sores appear. Severe infection or disease complications occur more commonly in infants. For instance, besides affecting the mouth, the herpes simplex virus may go to the brain and produce damage.
• People whose immune systems are weakened should also call their doctor when sores appear. Your immune system protects you from infection or fights infection. If your system is weakened, you are more likely to have severe infection or disease complication.

When to go to the hospital

Signs and symptoms of dehydration may warrant going to a hospital’s emergency department.

A doctor will base a diagnosis on information you provide and on physical examination. The characteristic appearance of the herpes sores leaves little doubt. Further testing is usually not necessary.

If you require a definitive diagnosis, for instance, if your infection involves other organ systems, the doctor may conduct laboratory tests.

• A sample from the sores to identify the virus
• A culture analysis
• A staining test called the Tzanck smear
• Antigen and antibody studies
• Blood sampling for antibody studies

• Use acetaminophen (Feverall, Panadol, Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Ibuprin, Advil, Motrin) for fever and muscle aches.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Treatment includes medication for fever and taking plenty of fluids.

• A topical anesthetic such as viscous lidocaine (Dilocaine, Nervocaine, Xylocaine, Zilactin-L) may be prescribed to relieve pain.
• Oral or IV medication does exist for herpes but is not recommended for people with a normal immune system. It is used only for people with weakened immune systems, infants younger than 6 weeks, or people with severe disease.
• Some people may require hospital admission:
  • Those with severe local infection
  • People whose infection has spread to other organ systems
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • Dehydrated individuals who need IV hydration
  • Infants younger than 6 weeks

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Use pain medications as instructed by the doctor.
• Use medications to control fever.
• Watch for signs and symptoms of dehydration.

Avoid touching saliva, skin, or mucous membranes that have sores.

The sores and symptoms of oral herpes completely clear up in 2-3 weeks. But the sores may reappear under certain stressful situations.

Media file 1: Oral Herpes. Clusters of blisters erupt on the lips, tongue, and inside the mouth. Most people have been infected by at least 1 herpes subtype before adulthood.

herpes labialis, herpes gingivostomatitis, herpes pharyngitis, cold sores, fever blisters, herpes simplex virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes-1, herpes simplex virus, type 2 or herpes-2, herpes blister, oral blister, oral herpes

Top Picks

Oral Herpes

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Robert Brennan on March 22, 2023

• Oral Herpes Overview
• Oral Herpes Causes
• Oral Herpes Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Oral Herpes Treatment Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• More

Oral herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus causes painful sores on your lips, gums, tongue, roof of your mouth, and inside your cheeks. It also can cause symptoms such as fever and muscle aches.

• The herpes simplex virus affects only humans. Mouth sores most commonly occur in children aged 1-2 years, but they can affect people at any age and any time of the year.
• People contract herpes by touching infected saliva, mucous membranes, or skin. Because the virus is highly contagious, most people have been infected by at least 1 herpes subtype before adulthood.
• After the herpes virus infects you, it has a rather unique ability to proceed to 3 stages.
  • Primary infection: The virus enters your skin or mucous membrane and reproduces. During this stage, oral sores and other symptoms, such as fever, may develop.
    • The virus may not cause any sores and symptoms. You may not know that you have it. This is called asymptomatic infection.
    • Asymptomatic infection occurs twice as often as the disease with symptoms.
• Latency: From the infected site, the virus moves to a mass of nervous tissue in your spine called the dorsal root ganglion. There the virus reproduces again and becomes inactive.
• Recurrence: When you encounter certain stresses, emotional or physical, the virus may reactivate and cause new sores and symptoms.

Herpes simplex is a DNA virus that causes sores in and around your mouth. Two herpes subtypes may cause these sores.

• Herpes simplex virus, type 1 or herpes-1, which causes 80% of cases of oral herpes infections
• Herpes simplex virus, type 2 or herpes-2, which causes the rest

• Incubation period: For oral herpes, the amount of time between contact with the virus and the appearance of symptoms, the incubation period, is 2-12 days. Most people average about 4 days.
• Duration of illness: Signs and symptoms will last 2-3 weeks. Fever, tiredness, muscle aches, and irritability may occur.
  • Pain, burning, tingling, or itching occurs at the infection site before the sores appear. Then clusters of blisters erupt. These blisters break down rapidly and, when seen, appear as tiny, shallow, gray ulcers on a red base. A few days later, they become crusted or scabbed and appear drier and more yellow
• Oral sores: The most intense pain caused by these sores occurs at the onset and make eating and drinking difficult.
  • The sores may occur on the lips, the gums, the front of the tongue, the inside of the cheeks, the throat, and the roof of the mouth.
  • They may also extend down the chin and neck.
  • The gums may become mildly swollen and red and may bleed.
• Neck lymph nodes often swell and become painful.
• In people in their teens and 20s, herpes may cause a painful throat with shallow ulcers and a grayish coating on the tonsils.

When to call the doctor

• Because the sores are painful, you may have difficulty eating or drinking. To prevent dehydration, call your doctor as soon as you cannot eat or drink.
• Call your doctor immediately if any of these symptoms, which suggest dehydration, occur:
  • A decrease in urination (fewer wet diapers in infants)
  • Drowsiness
  • Irritability
  • Dry mouth
• Call your doctor if you or your children are not sure what the sores are.
• If your child is younger than 8 weeks, notify your doctor when sores appear. Severe infection or disease complications occur more commonly in infants. For instance, besides affecting the mouth, the herpes simplex virus may go to the brain and produce damage.
• People whose immune systems are weakened should also call their doctor when sores appear. Your immune system protects you from infection or fights infection. If your system is weakened, you are more likely to have severe infection or disease complication.

When to go to the hospital

Signs and symptoms of dehydration may warrant going to a hospital’s emergency department.

A doctor will base a diagnosis on information you provide and on physical examination. The characteristic appearance of the herpes sores leaves little doubt. Further testing is usually not necessary.

If you require a definitive diagnosis, for instance, if your infection involves other organ systems, the doctor may conduct laboratory tests.

• A sample from the sores to identify the virus
• A culture analysis
• A staining test called the Tzanck smear
• Antigen and antibody studies
• Blood sampling for antibody studies

• Use acetaminophen (Feverall, Panadol, Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Ibuprin, Advil, Motrin) for fever and muscle aches.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Treatment includes medication for fever and taking plenty of fluids.

• A topical anesthetic such as viscous lidocaine (Dilocaine, Nervocaine, Xylocaine, Zilactin-L) may be prescribed to relieve pain.
• Oral or IV medication does exist for herpes but is not recommended for people with a normal immune system. It is used only for people with weakened immune systems, infants younger than 6 weeks, or people with severe disease.
• Some people may require hospital admission:
  • Those with severe local infection
  • People whose infection has spread to other organ systems
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • Dehydrated individuals who need IV hydration
  • Infants younger than 6 weeks

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Use pain medications as instructed by the doctor.
• Use medications to control fever.
• Watch for signs and symptoms of dehydration.

Avoid touching saliva, skin, or mucous membranes that have sores.

The sores and symptoms of oral herpes completely clear up in 2-3 weeks. But the sores may reappear under certain stressful situations.

Media file 1: Oral Herpes. Clusters of blisters erupt on the lips, tongue, and inside the mouth. Most people have been infected by at least 1 herpes subtype before adulthood.

herpes labialis, herpes gingivostomatitis, herpes pharyngitis, cold sores, fever blisters, herpes simplex virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes-1, herpes simplex virus, type 2 or herpes-2, herpes blister, oral blister, oral herpes

Top Picks

Oral herpes: causes, symptoms, signs, treatment, diagnosis, prevention

Overview

Oral herpes is a common and highly contagious viral infection. It causes herpetic vesicular ulcers or febrile blisters, most commonly around the mouth. Ulcers may also appear on the tongue, face, or other areas of the skin. Oral herpes, genital herpes and stomatitis are different diseases. For the most part, herpes infection occurs in early childhood or childhood through close contact with an adult or using his things, such as lip balm or silverware. The infection can be transmitted even when there are no symptoms of the disease. Mostly during oral herpes treatment is not needed. However, special creams or ointments can relieve your discomfort. Antiviral pills can shorten outbreaks and improve their course. Oral herpes is an almost incurable disease. The virus remains in your body for life. It may or may not cause further relapses.

What to expect

Primary infection with oral herpes is mostly very severe, although it can also be mild. Before the appearance of single or group painful vesicles, tingling, itching or burning sensations predominantly occur. These bubbles open, their contents flow out, then such a place is covered with a crust. Ulcers usually heal without treatment within two weeks. However, after infection, the virus that has got on the outside of the skin reaches the nerve cells and remains in your body for life. It can only be imperceptibly in the body, or it can be activated again due to some reason. Over time, outbreaks of the disease for the most part become milder and less frequent.

May be worsened by

Scratching, stress, fatigue, illness, fever, sun exposure, menstruation, pregnancy, cut or surgery.

Diagnosis

A doctor can diagnose oral herpes by examining the sores. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may take a sample from the wound with a swab and send it to the laboratory for analysis. If the patient does not have wounds, the presence of herpes can be confirmed by a blood test.

Treatment

If necessary, treatment may include topical creams or ointments. You can take over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Oral antivirals can reduce the severity and frequency of outbreaks and prevent the spread of the virus. They best help at the beginning of the activation of herpes. Antivirals include:

– acyclovir

– famciclovir

– valaciclovir

Self-medication

Self-care tips:

– wash the sores gently with antiseptic soap and water

– try over-the-counter drugs such as benzocaine or L-lysine

– drink plenty of fluids

– apply ice or heat to the blisters 9000 5

– do not touch ulcers

– try to avoid to prevent recurrences, stress and sunburn

When to see a doctor

Call your doctor if the symptoms of herpes cause you significant discomfort or do not go away on their own within 10 days or you there are signs of a bacterial infection, such as fever, pus, or widespread redness. You should also call your doctor if herpes sores appear frequently.

Seek immediate medical attention if you or your child have symptoms of oral herpes combined with a prolonged illness or weak immune system, such as from cancer or HIV/AIDS. Emergency medical attention is also needed if cold sores cover the eyes and cause pain, sensitivity to light, watery eyes, or a gritty feeling in the eyes. Take a young child to the emergency room if they show signs of dehydration, such as a small amount of urine.

Risk factors

Contact with a patient or carrier of herpes simplex virus type 1 is a high risk factor. If you are already infected with the herpes virus, risk factors include stress, fatigue, illness, fever, sun exposure, menstruation, pregnancy, a cut, or surgery.

Herpes

Genital herpes is a very common infection in all countries. In 2014, 20,431 patients were registered in Russia, and 591 in Udmurtia in 2015. The number of carriers of the infection, of course, is much higher. In the United States, 306,000 people fell ill in 2013.

Herpes is a sexually transmitted infection. The disease is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2 (HSV-1.2).

Signs of herpes are reddening of a small area of ​​the skin, itching, blistering. Then the blisters open and heal with the formation of crusts.

Herpes type 1 is more acute and takes 2 to 4 weeks. It most often affects the skin of the face, lips, oral cavity, cornea of ​​the eye, and less often the genitals. The type 2 virus infects the genitals and anus, and therefore this virus is often called genital herpes.

Herpes infection is a chronic disease. Once it enters the body, the virus remains in it forever.

HSV-1 has a higher prevalence. In Udmurtia, up to 90% of the population is infected with this type of virus.

HSV-1 infection occurs mainly in childhood and adolescence by airborne droplets or contact (kissing, etc.). Sexual transmission is possible through oral-genital contact.

HSV-2 is less common (in Udmurtia, the virus carrier is up to 45%). The prevalence of HSV-2 depends on the norms of sexual behavior and on the number of partners. In recent years, an increase in the incidence has been observed everywhere. Genital herpes is more common in women than in men.

Infection with genital herpes occurs through sexual contact. The risk of infection is much higher if one partner has herpetic eruptions on the skin and mucous membranes.

Some people may not have exacerbations, others have exacerbations very often. The latent course is the reason for the easy spread of infection.

Herpes flare-ups are commonly triggered by hypothermia, physical and emotional stress, sexual intercourse, comorbidities (such as influenza), ultraviolet exposure, and menstruation in women.
Most of those infected have no symptoms. In the rest, signs of herpes appear 2-20 days after infection.

Initially manifestations of herpes may be similar to flu – there is a slight increase in temperature, chills, weakness. A typical sign of genital herpes is the appearance of small (2-5 mm) fluid-filled blisters on the genitals, buttocks, and anus. The rash is accompanied by itching and/or pain. Rashes can be located in the vagina, on the cervix, in the rectum. Within a few days, the blisters burst, turning into painful sores. After 1-2 weeks, the sores, covered with crusts, heal.

When symptoms subside, the virus goes into the nerve cells of the spinal cord. During an exacerbation, the virus travels along the nerves to the skin or mucous membranes, where it causes new rashes.
After the initial case of the disease, exacerbations occur several times a year. In the future, the number of exacerbations decreases.

Persons with a decrease in the body’s defenses experience frequent prolonged exacerbations that cause both physical and psycho-emotional suffering.

Patients with genital herpes in the acute phase are more at risk of contracting HIV infection.

pregnant women have a high risk of infection of the child during pregnancy and childbirth. Infection of newborns is very dangerous and can lead to death. If a woman has a rash in the genital area (birth canal) during childbirth, this is an indication for a caesarean section, which dramatically reduces the risk of herpes transmission to the newborn.

It is very important for a woman to avoid contracting genital herpes during pregnancy, since it is the initial case of infection that is most dangerous for the fetus.

Manifestations of genital herpes vary. It is quite difficult to identify sores of herpes. Diagnosis includes examining the patient, examining scrapings from sores for herpes simplex virus by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Additionally, blood is examined by ELISA (enzyme immunoassay) to detect antibodies to HSV-2. The ELISA method allows you to diagnose genital herpes without exacerbation.

Diagnosis and treatment of genital herpes should be carried out in a specialized clinic that has all the necessary facilities for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.