Treatment is an important part of managing the disease. If you don’t treat genital herpes, you may spread the disease to others (including your baby, if you’re pregnant), experience bladder inflammation, notice rectal inflammation and in severe cases, get meningitis.
It may be difficult for some people to realize they’ve been exposed since it can take so long for symptoms to show up. Or, the because the disease can be spread through people that don’t show obvious symptoms of herpes.
Trauma, stress, or menses. These can release cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones or dramatically change the levels of hormones in your body. Any of these may lower your body’s ability to fight infection. This gives the herpes virus an opportunity to become an outbreak. Burning and itching before an outbreak (known as a prodrome). Reducing the itching and burning as herpes is on the verge of breaking out can speed up the outbreak. Scratching once the outbreak has happened can lead to more outbreaks and spread the virus. Sunlight and fever. Sunlight exposes your body to ultraviolet radiation which can irritate the skin and compromise the underlying cells, giving an opportunity for a herpes outbreak. A fever or cold compromises your immune system so your body can’t suppress the infection, which leads to an outbreak.
On women, blisters can appear on the labia, vagina, anus, cervix, buttocks and thighs. Ulcers usually heal within 7 to 14 days. On men, blisters generally appear on the scrotum, penis, buttocks and thighs.
Keep in mind that vaginal discharge is not a diagnosing symptom for herpes, but it is a possible symptom that, along with other symptoms, may help diagnose herpes. [10] X Research source [11] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Usually the diagnosis is through a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based swab test. A synthetic swab is rubbed vigorously over abnormal skin, placed in a liquid and sent to the lab. Then, using specialized laboratory techniques, the sample is amplified many times to see if the patient has herpes. In some cases you doctor could do a herpes type-specific antibody test. This test uses an antibody to specifically target and determine whether the infection is HSV-1 or HSV-2. 50% of infected individuals usually test positive within 3 weeks after infection. If you’ve been infected for more than 16 weeks, this test will almost always prove positive. Your doctor may also consider a PCR swab of lesion test. A sterile swab is used to vigorously swab the base of the lesion— applying enough pressure to collect epithelial cells without causing bleeding—and collect vesicular fluid. This is then sent to the lab for diagnosis.
Acyclovir. This is a first-line drug for genital lesions or frequent lesions on the labia from herpes. It can also be used topically to treat inflammation on eyes infected with herpes. Acyclovir is considered fairly safe in pregnant and nursing women and it’s also used for pediatric cases. Penciclovir. This is a cream that is used as a first-line medication to treat oral lesions topically. Valacyclovir. This is a first-line medication used to treat primary and recurrent genital herpes. Foscarnet. This is considered a second-line medication and is used when there is a resistance to the preferred first-line medication acyclovir. This can happen in immunocompromised individuals suffering from a systemic herpes infection. [15] X Research source Agabegi, S. (2013). Step-up to medicine (3rd ed. ). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Your doctor will also have many recommendations and can keep you up to date on the latest medications available to you.
If you touch a herpes sore, particularly when you are newly diagnosed, wash your hands with soap and water - your body will not possess antibodies for a few months and you could accidentally spread it to your eyes or mouth. If you have an active cold sore on your mouth, don’t kiss anyone. [17] X Research source
Immunocompromised states. A compromised immune system on its own won’t give you herpes, but it will make it harder for your body to protect itself and fight an infection or breakout. Illness, stress, AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and even old age can be factors may make you more vulnerable to infection by the herpes HSV-1/HSV-2 virus. Atopic eczema in children (also known as atopic dermatitis). Eczema is a common itchy skin disorder, but if eczema skin is infected with herpes, it can lead to a serious skin condition. Occupational workplace exposure. Some professions that are exposed to the virus may be at higher risk of getting herpes. For example, dental health providers are at higher risk of contracting HSV-1, resulting in an extremely painful infection of the hand. [18] X Research source Domino, F. (n. d. ). The 5-minute clinical consult standard 2015 (23rd ed. ).
Types of contact that can easily spread herpes include: kissing, oral sex, anal sex, and vaginal sex (or any combination of these where the mucosal membranes come into contact with each other).
However, contracting herpes does not mean someone necessarily had sex with many partners; you can get it from one person, one time. Also, many people contract HSV-1 on their mouths when they are in elementary school, or from kissing relatives when they are young.
According to The Center for Disease Control, 1 in 6 people in the U. S. between 14 and 49 years old has genital herpes. [22] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
