The herpes virus or the herpes simplex virus is also
referred to as a Cold Sore, Night Fever or Fever Blister.
It is a virus that comes in two common viral infections.
It shows up as a painful watery type blister that
is in the skin or one the mucous membranes; these
include the mouth lips and the genitals. The herpes
simplex virus is highly contagious during the outbreak
and seven to ten days after the blister appears to
be healed.
Symptoms
The first outbreak is always worse than the ones that come after it. Initially it involves flu-like symptoms with swollen glands fro approximately two weeks. You will also see the skin appear red and irritated, and then you will see fluid-filled blisters appear in the skin. If you have a case of genital herpes the lesions will appear close to the genitals and can looks almost like a paper cut. Genital herpes symptoms include aches and pains in the area. You may also see a discharge from the penis or vaginal area, and have problems when urinating.
Outbreaks
After the first outbreak, most individuals experience periodic outbreaks approximately four to five times a year. They are many things that can cause an outbreak which include stress, exposure to the sun, fatigue, and a viral infection. Some have reported outbreaks after eating foods that are high in arginime such chocolate and different types of nuts.
Contact
Herpes virus is contracted through direct skin contact. The virus will travel through the skin and go into areas that have breaks in the skin or moist areas of the skin. However, your symptoms may not appear until a month or more of being infected with the virus. The transmission of the virus is most common to occur during a active outbreak, but some can contract it while the virus is in the healing process. More women are susceptible to acquire this virus than men.
Prevention
In order to prevent the spread of the herpes virus, it is recommended that condoms be used during intercourse. This is not a complete prevention process, but it can help. Other preventions include using lip balm, managing your triggers of the virus. Avoid infecting other areas of the body, by limiting direct skin contact. There is always a fear of passing it on to someone that is why it is important to recognize the symptoms early on, and prevent it from being passed on to someone else.
Treatments
They are a few treatments on the market today that can help. These include antiviral medications for controlling the outbreaks. These drugs work by preventing the virus from replicating itself. These are just treatments for the virus, and not a cure. Analgesics are used to help reduce the pain and fever that can occur during the outbreaks.
The long term effects of the herpes virus are not well known. The blisters may leave scars and can in some instances lead to cervical cancer in women. At this time there is no cure for the virus, and it does destroy an individual’s immune system. It is important for an individual to seek treatment from their doctors if they are experiencing an outbreak. When a person discovers that they have the virus, many times it can have an effect on their psychological behavior. They feel that they are outcasts in society, and it can lead to depression. It is important for individual to realize that this is an illness that you can live a long time with, you just have to be able to identify the triggers, and be prepared for when an outbreak occurs.
