Herpes
About Herpes
Herpes Simplex is a viral disease caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV).
There are two types of herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Both of them, once caught, remain in the body.
HSV-1 more commonly causes infections around the mouth (cold sores) while HSV-2 more commonly causes genital infections (genital herpes).
Symptoms of Herpes
Most people with the HSV don't experience any symptoms when first infected. As a result, many people don't know they have the condition.
It usually takes two to fourteen days after contact for the first symptoms of herpes to appear.
Genital Herpes
The symptoms of genital herpes for the first time (primary infection) include:
- itching, tingling, soreness and discomfort of the area affected
- general flu-like symptoms (e.g backache, headache, temperature, muscle aching)
- small blisters that burst to leave red, open sores around your genitals, rectum (back passage), thighs and buttocks
- vaginal discharge in women
- pain when passing urine
a general feeling of being unwell, with aches, pains and flu-like symptoms
These symptoms may last up to 20 days. However, the sores will eventually scab and heal without scarring.
Once the initial symptoms of genital herpes clear up, the virus remains dormant (inactive) in a nearby nerve. The virus may be reactivated from time to time, causing recurrent outbreaks which are usually shorter and less severe than the primary infection.
Oral Herpes
The symptoms of oral herpes include:
- a tingling, itching or burning sensation around the mouth
- small fluid-filled sores on or around the lip, which may burst and crust over.
Herpetic Whitlow
This describes a lesion (whitlow) on a finger or thumb caused by HSV.
It is a painful infection that typically affects the fingers or thumbs, on or around the nail-bed.
Symptoms of include swelling, redness and tenderness of the skin of infected finger. This may be accompanied by fever and swollen lymph nodes.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is highly contagious and spreads from one person to another through skin-to-skin contact, such as during vaginal, anal or oral sex.
In some cases it is also possible to become infected by coming into contact with other parts of the body that can be affected by HSV, such as the eyes and skin. e.g. you can catch genital herpes if you have oral sex with someone who has a cold sore.
HSV cannot usually be passed on through objects, such as towels, cutlery or cups because the virus dies very quickly when away from your skin.
Genital herpes is particularly easy to catch when an infected person has active sores. However, it can be caught at any time, even when someone has no symptoms at all.
Once you have been infected with HSV, your immune system can never remove it from the body. It can be reactivated every so often to cause a new episode of genital herpes. This is known as recurrence.
Prevention
The most effective method of avoiding infections is by avoiding vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Genital herpes is especially contagious when are there open blisters.
You should also avoid kissing if you or the other person has a cold sore.
Treatment
There is no method that eradicates HSV from the body.
Treatment is usually with a tablet called Aciclovir, which works by preventing HSV from multiplying. This in turn reduces the frequency, duration, and severity of outbreaks.
If you have more than six recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes in a year, or if your symptoms are particularly severe and causing you distress, you may need to take aciclovir every day as part of a long-term treatment plan.
If you are experiencing recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes you should also consider being tested for HIV. This may be a sign of a weakened immune system.
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