Genital Herpes Clinic - Everything About Herpes » Symptoms

Announcement: Genital Herpes Symptoms and Genital Herpes Treatment

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 03:27:06 +0000

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About Genital Herpes and the Genital Herpes Symptoms

Joanna — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:44:21 +0000

What Is Genital Herpes?

Genital herpes is caused by a virus called herpes simplex (HSV). There are two different types of herpes virus that cause genital herpes — Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus 2. Most forms of genital herpes are Herpes Simplex Virus 2. But a person with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (the type of herpes virus that causes cold sores or fever blisters around the mouth) can transmit the herpes virus through oral sex to another person’s genitals.

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It causes herpes sores in the genital area and is transmitted through vaginal, oral, or anal sex, especially from unprotected sex when infected skin touches the vaginal, oral, or anal area. Occasionally, the herpes virus can cause herpes sores in the mouth, and can be spread by secretions in saliva. Because the herpes virus does not live outside the body for long, you cannot catch genital herpes from an object, such as a toilet seat.

Symptoms of a Genital Herpes Outbreak

Someone who has been exposed to the genital herpes virus may not be aware of the herpes infection and may never have a herpes outbreak of sores. However, if a person does have a herpes outbreak, the herpes symptoms can cause significant discomfort.

Someone with genital herpes may first notice itching or pain, followed by herpes sores that appear a few hours to a few days later. The herpes sores, which may appear on the vagina, penis, scrotum, buttocks, or anus, start out as red bumps that soon turn into red, watery blisters. The genital herpes sores may make it very painful to urinate. The genital herpes sores may open up, ooze fluid or bleed, and then heal within the next 2 to 4 weeks.

The entire genital area may feel very tender or painful, and the person may have flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. If someone has a herpes outbreak in the future, it will tend to be less severe and shorter in duration, with the herpes sores healing in about 10 days.

How Long Until Genital Herpes Symptoms Appear?

Someone who has been exposed to genital herpes virus will notice genital itching and/or pain about 2 to 20 days after being infected with the herpes virus. The herpes sores usually appear within days afterward.

What Can Happen When Infected with Genital Herpes Virus?

After the herpes blisters disappear, a person may think the herpes virus has gone away — but it’s actually hiding in the body. Both Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus 2 can stay hidden away in the body until the next herpes outbreak, when the herpes virus reactivates itself and the herpes sores return, usually in the same area.

Over time, the herpes virus can reactivate itself again and again, causing discomfort and episodes of herpes sores each time. Sometimes a person has about four to five herpes outbreaks each year, but this can vary between people. Usually, the number of herpes outbreaks will lessen over time.

There is no cure for herpes; it will always remain in the body and can always be passed to another person with any form of unprotected sex. This is the case even if blisters aren’t present on the genitals, but more likely if they are. Many cases of genital herpes are transmitted when symptoms are not present, but a person can lessen the chance of spreading the herpes infection to someone else by taking antiviral medication to lessen the amount of herpes virus that is around. This is a prescription medication that needs to be obtained from a doctor.

Genital herpes also increases the risk of HIV infection because HIV can enter the body more easily whenever there’s a break in the skin (such as a sore) during unprotected sexual contact. In addition, if a pregnant woman with genital herpes has an active infection during childbirth, the newborn baby is at risk for getting herpes infection. This risk is greatest if she gets her first herpes outbreak while pregnant. Herpes infection in a newborn can cause meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord), seizures, and brain damage.

How Is Genital Herpes Prevented?

The only surefire way to prevent genital herpes is abstinence. If one partner has a herpes outbreak, avoid sex — even with a condom or dental dam — until all herpes sores have healed. Herpes can be passed sexually even if a partner has no herpes sores or other signs and symptoms of a herpes outbreak. Finally, one way to lessen this risk is to take antiviral medication even when no herpes sores are present if you know you have genital herpes.

How long can it take for genital herpes symptoms to effect?

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 03:23:50 +0000

Today my girlfriend tells me her doctor says she has genital herpes… we have been together about 3 1/2 months, I do not have herpes. Does this mean she has been cheating on me or can it take this long for symptoms to occur?

How soon after exposure to cold sore herpes (type 1) in your genital area, would you start to see symptoms?

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:33:04 +0000

I think I may have contracted genital herpes through my partner’s cold sore. It was not totally active at the time- it had already scabbed over and was almost healed. He has never had genital herpes and this is the only thing I can attribute it to. Does this now mean I could have type 1 or type 2 herpes?

Genital Herpes Symptoms

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 12:46:54 +0000

The symptoms of herpes vary greatly from person to person. Many people infected with herpes are actually not aware that they have the disease because herpes is actually asymptomatic, which means that symptoms may not be noticeable.

The First Herpes Outbreak

With an initial herpes outbreak, it is recommended that the infected individual with signs or symptoms of herpes infection seek medical care as soon as possible. Herpes infections are generally not a medical emergency but herpes treatment is more effective when it is started within the first few days of the herpes outbreak.
Signs of herpes tend to develop within three to seven days of skin to skin contact with a person infected with the herpes virus. Genital herpes infections appear to be small blisters or ulcers on the genitals. Typically, each blister or ulcer is about 1 to 3 millimeters in size, and the blisters or ulcers tend to be grouped into “crops”. What usually happens is that the blisters form first then soon open to form ulcers. Herpes infections may be painless or slightly tender but in some people however the blisters or ulcers can be very tender and painful.
The first genital herpes outbreak is usually the most painful, and the initial episode may last longer than later outbreaks. Herpes symptoms may last for two to four weeks. Aside from blisters or ulcers, some people also develop other signs of genital herpes infection, particularly with the first episode including:
Pain and itchiness, burning or tingling sensation during the first herpes outbreak. Other symptoms include: swollen lymph glands, painful inflamed blisters that develop around the infected area, headache, muscle ache, fever, vaginal or penis discharge, infection of the urethra causing a burning sensation during urination, a burning sensation in the genitals, lower back pain, small red bumps may also appear in the genital area following earlier symptoms and later developing into painful blisters, which crust over, forming a scab and then heal.

Later Outbreaks of Genital Herpes

If the disease returns, later outbreaks generally have much less severe symptoms. A lot of people with recurrent disease develop pain or a tingling sensation in the area of the infection even before any blisters or ulcers can be seen. This is caused by irritation and inflammation of the nerves leading to the infected area of the skin. These are the signs to watch out for to know that a herpes outbreak is about to start. In this particular period, the condition is contagious even though the skin may appear normal.

Mistaken Symptoms of Herpes

Since symptoms of herpes are not always present, there are some people who tend to mistake a herpes outbreak for something else. Herpes outbreaks may be mistaken for: insect bites, a jock itch, abrasions, razor burn, yeast infections, hemorrhoids and ingrown hair follicles.
Herpes is also sometimes confused with another medical condition such as canker sores which usually occur inside the mouth and are gray with a distinct edge. Canker sores however usually heal within 10 to 14 days without treatment. Bacterial or yeast infections are also sometimes confused with genital herpes although bacterial or yeast infections do not produce blistering.
Another condition that’s sometimes mistaken for herpes is impetigo which is a highly infectious bacterial disease. Impetigo however is more common among children often producing crusty blisters. Syphilis, another type of sexually transmitted disease is also some times mistaken for herpes because of chancres. Unlike genital herpes however, syphilis does not usually produce a cluster of blisters, and it usually responds well to antibiotics.
And like herpes, molluscum is a viral infection of the skin. However what differentiates molluscum from herpes is that molluscum produces raised lesions with a central dimple.
For a better idea of what herpes is and how to recognize the herpes virus, you should research the symptoms of the herpes virus plus view and compare real life herpes pictures.