Cold Sores and the Oral Herpes Virus
The herpes simplex virus causes fever blisters known as cold sores. Blisters
filled with fluid or sores that are tiny but still painful are cold sores and
will be visible on the throat, chin, cheek , mouth , nose or lips. Cold sores
are the unusual result of oral herpes. It has been said that the herpes simplex
virus (HSV-1) has been visible to about 80 percent of the population.
A couple of days before the sores appear there are signs like itching, tingling
or pain that are called 'Prodromal Symptoms'. During the outbreak it is very
dangerous to have any kind of sexual or skin to skin contact. Any kind of
personal contact with blisters will mean a spread of the virus.
During the times of breakouts, when the virus of the genital
herpes is active, it can be transmitted. For some individuals the active virus
shows up as herpes blisters. This can be on the buttocks, anal area, the
genitals, the thighs or in the mouth. Some individuals will have no apparent
signs but when the virus is in the active state it may be on the skin or in the
fluids of the body that originate from the vagina, penis or rectal area and then
others will be susceptible.
Skin in other areas of the body have a protection called keratin that fights
against almost everything except the most extreme conditions.
How to Reduce the Spread of Herpes
The active stage of herpes is the infectious stage. Even though there may not
be any visible signs like sores or blisters, the virus can still be active.
There was a medical study that showed the spread of herpes with no visible signs
was 70 percent.
When an individual's body is receptive to a particular type of herpes virus it
is necessary for contact with an infectious individual for them to become
infected. The infected individual must be in the active stage and have physical
contact, usually sexual, to spread the virus.
How to Tell Your Partner You Have Herpes
Are you considering a new sexual encounter"> First you must tell them
without apologizing but by being assertive, in an honest and very clear,
open discussion about herpes. With so much information out there about
discussing herpes with a partner it is usually the consensus that herpes
needs to be an unemotional discussion while being very open. How you feel
about the disease will come through to your partner as you discuss.
Don't go into the discussion expecting the worst. Don't be over dramatic
like saying, “Be prepared, I have something horrible to tell you.”
Is It Possible To Be Infected With Herpes Twice
If you already have herpes can another person infect you again: In
1980 a medical study done in Atlanta, Georgia revealed that genital herpes
will show up in another type of the virus. Individuals who have a
particular type of herpes are susceptible to being infected with another
strain of the virus. The general consensus is that getting a second strain
of the virus is a lot more difficult than it was to be infected the first
time. If the individual has antibodies that are fighting against type 2
herpes, it is extremely unlikely they will be infected with type 2 herpes
again.
Someone with genital herpes has a very slight possibility of getting the
infection a second time according to most studies.
Is It Possible To Treat Herpes?
Although there is no cure for genital herpes, there are three common medicines that are used to keep it under control. The commonly used medicines are antiviral and can also be a preventative measure against spreading the herpes disease. They are valacyclovir, famciclovir and acyclovir. These can be very helpful but to be most effective they must be used along with safe sex methods. Always consult your physician to discuss the use of any of these medications. If you think you may have herpes it is imperative to consult a health care professional quickly. The earlier the diagnosis happens the quicker the proper treatment can begin to make you feel better sooner.
Is the Danger of Herpes Reduced by Circumcision?
According to some new medical studies, the findings show that circumcised men
do have a smaller danger of being infected by genital herpes or papillomavirus
infections. Men who have had circumcision under medical supervision were proved
to have benefits in the fight against the herpes virus.
A test group in Uganda with 3,393 heterosexual man was clinically preformed with
ages between 15 and 49. The results did show that the amount of genital herpes
infections were decreased by 28 percent in those men who had been circumcised.
However, there was no change in the occurrences of syphilis.
Because of these findings, there really needs to be a reevaluation of the value
of the male circumcision not only for protecting against HIV but for protection
against other infectious diseases that can be spread by sexual encounters.
Misconceptions About Herpes Virus
When you are diagnosed with genital herpes and your relationship has
been long-term, it means that your partner has cheated on you. It is not
necessarily true that your partner was unfaithful. It is very common for
an individual to have very mild symptoms or none at all so it is
possible that they were infected years prior to your relationship and
not even be aware.
Your sex life is ended when you are diagnosed with genital herpes.
Practicing 'safe sex' methods by using condoms is a must after you have
genital herpes diagnosed. During an outbreak when there are visible
symptoms means the virus is active and sexual contact should be avoided.
Even when there are no visible signs, it is still possible to spread
herpes virus so condoms must always be worn, although it is not a total
preventative measure.
Ocular or Eye Herpes Information
When the eye becomes infected with the herpes virus it is called ocular
herpes. Most people will be infected with either oral or genital herpes virus.
When the nerves of the face are the resting place for a dormant herpes virus, an
outbreak will develop as ocular herpes. For most individuals this kind of virus
will stay in the dormant state but it is still possible to become active and
travel to the nerves of the face to the ocular nerves.
This is usually a rather harmless kind of herpes. The signs may be a mild pain,
some redness or some light sensitivity. Little scaring will take place with
ocular herpes and will be visible in the part of the eye called the cornea.
Recurrences of the Herpes Virus
Recurrences of the Herpes virus can happen in both simplex herpes virus
1 and 2. It does depend on the individual whether there will be very
occasional breakouts or if they will happen often. The most common
reported cases is that outbreaks of herpes happen each year about four
times.
Herpes will settle in the base of the spine while it is in the dormant
state. Once it begins a recurrence, it will make its way through the
nerves and then the skin will break out. Outbreaks usually appear close to
where the infection happened originally.
The Eight Types Of Herpes Virus
This classification is human herpes virus 1 (HHV1) and is also called herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1). This one is most commonly identified by infections around the mouth called cold sores. This classification of virus can also lead to infection in the area of the genitals and is commonly known as genital herpes and comes in by oral copulation. This is a very contagious infectious disease and is spread by skin touching or rubbing skin. It enters by tiny breaks in the mucous membrane or the skin. This can be transmitted by sharing razors, towels of an individual with an active condition of herpes and through sharing eating utensils.
The Natural Way to Treat Herpes
Being diagnosed with the herpes virus is something that you will need to understand thoroughly as this will be with you for the rest of your life. There is, however, no need to be afraid of your condition. You will learn how to take control of your life and the condition will probably go into a dormant stage and be that way most of the time. There are ways to treat and maintain the virus. The following are a few ideas to help you control your herpes virus.
If you are becoming emotional over your condition with pangs of remorse or anger, forgive yourself. You will also need to find forgiveness for the individual who infected you. Unforgiveness will only cause you mental anguish that will exasperate your condition even further.
Treatment Methods for Infants With Herpes
There are a couple hurtles when treating neonatal herpes. Damage that
is done to the body cannot be reversed by treating the herpes virus but
hopefully will put a stop to any further damage. The other hurtle is that
the treatment will only affect the symptoms and not actually be a cure.
The last hurtle is that the virus will sometimes become dormant until
years later.
It is extremely important to begin treatment as soon as possible when it
comes to neonatal herpes. Mothers who know they have herpes should let
their baby's doctor know the minute the newborn shows signs of illness.
Mothers who are intimate with partners who have herpes must alert the
physician quickly if their infant becomes ill because even if they aren't
aware they have herpes, it is very likely.
It is pretty usual for individuals infected with genital herpes to be free of
any signs of the infection. Another group of individuals do have mild signs but
believe it is due to another cause. Another group of individuals do suffer from
genital herpes in its most severe form. When the infection begins it will travel
to the spinal cord's nerve centers and then return to the place of infection
where the breakout occurs. This is where it can be spread to others. It does
come in waves like phases or episodes.
Almost immediately after the time that the infection happens, symptoms of the
genital herpes will appear. It depends on the individual whether there are very
intense signs or just a mild occurrence. Usually the most apparent sign is
visible sores.
Individuals over the age of 50 are mostly susceptible to herpes zoster. There
are several signs related to herpes zoster along with pain and a rash.
Chickenpox is the result of a virus and if this same virus attacks an individual
who has had chickenpox, it will result in herpes zoster. This means that anyone
who has had chickenpox or the vaccine are in danger of being infected with this
disease. Unfortunately no cure exists but there are many antiviral medications
that lessen the duration and intensity of the disease.
Shingles is probably the more commonly known name for herpes zoster. This is the
varicella-zoster virus that reinfects an individual. This is the same virus that
triggers chickenpox