Genital Herpes is a misunderstood illness, and I hope to dispel some myths with the publication of this article. Perhaps the first thing to note is that the majority of people are infected with one strain of herpes – HSV 1, also known as the common cold sore! Of course it has less of a stigma attached, so let’s look at the facts about genital herpes:

What symptoms does genital herpes carry?

The trouble with herpes is that in many people, the symptoms are so mild that they may pass unnoticed. This is good on one level as it won’t affect your life, but on the other hand, you’re at risk of passing the HSV 2 virus onto another unawares, who may suffer far more discomfort than you.

If symptoms do appear, They tend to appear periodically in ‘episodes’ (or ‘outbreaks’). As for when, again it varies from person to person. It may be days after contracting the virus, it could be months to years. When it first strikes, the sufferer typically feels flu-like symptoms – fever, headaches and pains in the back and leg. The good news is that these symptoms usually are only present in the first outbreak of HSV 2.

From then on, most genital herpes episodes produce small blisters which then break to form painful shallow sores. After 1-2 weeks, these scab over and then heal. Often the first outbreak is significantly more uncomfortable than future episodes.

If you’re thinking this sounds like a cold sore, but for the genitals, you’re right. Although HSV 1 (cold sores) is not the same as HSV 2, the symptoms are similar enough for you to think of genital herpes as a cold sore that forms around the genitals, anus, buttocks and thighs. And like cold sores, the virus stays in the body once the genital herpes symptoms have vanished, and can cause recurrent outbreaks at any time.

Are recurrent outbreaks linked to any behaviour?

Yes and no. Triggers for outbreaks of genital herpes can be linked to sex, menstruation, general illness or stress, but often you’ll see no explanation and an episode appears without a trigger.

It’s important to note that recurrent attacks are caused by the dormant virus in the body and not by re-infection. In most causes the repeat episodes become less frequent over time, and some sufferers can look forward to a time when the attacks stop altogether.
How is HSV 2 spread?

The HSV 2 virus is spread through skin to skin contact, which means sexual contact is largely the cause. Remember that as many people show few to no symptoms, it’s possible to pass on the virus to someone even if the sufferer shows no symptoms.

How do I prevent transmission?

There’s no sure-fire way to prevent transmission, because it can be passed with no obvious sores, but there are ways of minimising the risk. The first is to avoid having any kind of sexual contact with someone immediately before or during an outbreak of genital herpes. Condoms will stop transmission across the area covered, but of course they only cover the penis, so if sores are elsewhere transmission can still occur.

There are a number of dating sites set up to match singles with genital herpes – of course, people cannot be reinfected, so sufferers having sexual contact with each other are not at risk from the disease!

I think I have it – what’s does the test for herpes involve?

The herpes test involves taking a sample from the area of the body infected during an outbreak. The HSV 2 virus will usually grow in a swab taken from a open blister. It can then be determined which type – HSV 1 or 2 – you have. HSV 1 is rarer in a genital infection.

The other herpes test is taken via a blood sample. The advantage of this is that you don’t need to be having an outbreak to take the test, but it has downsides too. It can’t tell you which part of the body is infected (lips or genitals), it can’t tell you whether you are likely to display symptoms or not and if can’t reveal if general symptoms you’ve had are down to the HSV virus. Consult your doctor to discuss which herpes test is for you.

Is there a risk of transmission through childbirth?

Pregnant women with genital herpes may pass the virus onto their baby during delivery causing serious illness. This thankfully isn’t common, but the medical staff should be told if you carry the virus so that risk of complications can be minimised.

Is there a cure for genital herpes?

Sadly there is no cure for HSV 2, and once the virus is in the body it is there for life. There are ways of managing the symptoms though, thankfully. Iodine paint will dry out the blisters and help prevent secondary infection, while salt baths are good at relieving discomfort.

Anti-viral medication can also be prescribed, and this will help reduce the severity of an outbreak If taken early enough (within 3 days of the symptoms appearing is best). For the unlucky few who suffer from regular outbreaks, some antiviral drugs including aciclovir, famciclovir and valaciclovir can be taken continuously. This will stop most outbreaks from occurring allowing minimal disruption.

Genital herpes has a very bad reputation, but as STDs go, it’s actually comparatively harmless and certainly is no bar to living a full, happy and sexually fulfilled life. If in doubt, get a herpes test – you have very little to worry about even if you are infected!

By: Tim Leach

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Tim Leach is the Marketing Manager of USA Lab Testing, providers of local Herpes tests.

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It is so frustrating to get a cold sore on the lip as it is so visible to others. What can be done to both minimize the duration and prevent these annoyances in the future?

It seems that unfair that getting a cold sore on the lip occurs in such a viewable spot. However, often the lips are vulnerable for fever blister problems because of the fact that the skin there can be weakened from ultraviolet lighting. It’s always important to put some spf protection on your lip when you are outdoors or at the beach. Pilots also can get cold sores on the lip due to their uv exposure.

Often the tingle or initial sting is the warning sign for a cold sore eruption. You become astute at noticing this once you’ve had one or two herpes cold sore breakouts. The ones on and around the lips are herpes simplex virus 1. This is different than both herpes simplex virus 2 as well as canker sores.

Two factors that can contribute to cold sores are a weakened immune system as well as having had physical intimacy with someone who has the cold sore herpes virus 1. When your immune system is weak , you can be run down and this makes you susceptible to developing a cold sore or a respiratory problem. Because cold sores are contagious, if you were kissing someone with the herpes simplex virus 1, you can also get a cold sore on the lip. Some say that it can also be caught by sharing the same cup. Please note that it isn’t only contagious during the sore part but during all it’s stages. Some people think it’s only when it becomes a red sore that it’s contagious, but it is through it’s full course, which can be several days long.

Some people find taking the amino acid l-lysine preventively will help reduce or even eliminate cold sore on lips outbreaks. This is because the amino acids need to be balanced and sometimes we get the balance off due to the proportion if we take protein powders, eat a lot of peanut butter etc. The body cannot produce lysine so it’s a useful supplement.

Because the lip cold sore gets stimulation due to eating, it can be frustrating to see it begin to heal but then re-open. It will eventually heal, but it may go through a couple of times of scabbing, bleeding and then re-forming the cold sore scab since chewing stimulates the area. It is similar to a child having a scab on his knee and how that re-opens when he walks so it takes longer to heal than elsewhere on the body.

There are over the counter, prescription and natural remedies. Each of these will work in to shorten the healing time. Keep in mind that when using natural remedies, you need to be logical when analyzing the solutions. Ice , tea bags and witch hazel are all useful. If you search on the internet, however, you get other recommendations that include using nail polish remover, lighting a candle near it on a spoon or utilizing ear wax. Do not use a method that is just an internet post on a forum without research as the skin is very sensitive and you do not want to damage it.

Dee Cohen is a licensed social worker. Know more about Cold Sore on the Lip and find effective ways to reduce and eliminate cold sores and fever blisters.

By Dee Cohen Published: 7/18/2008

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