5 Things You Should Know About Herpes

Herpes is an infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is characterized by blister-like rash over the lips or genitals. The rash is extremely painful and may cause other complications.

There are two types of HSV:

• HSV-1 causes oral herpes, which usually affects the mouth and surrounding skin.
• HSV-2 causes genital herpes, which is usually sexually transmitted. Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that any sexually active person can get. Most people with the virus don’t have symptoms. Even without signs of the disease, herpes can spread to sexual partners.

Oral herpes caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) can be spread from the mouth to genitals through oral sex. Therefore, some cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-1.

Most people who have genital herpes have no symptoms or have very mild symptoms. Patients may not notice mild symptoms or may mistake them for another skin condition, such as a pimple or ingrown hair. Because of this, most people who have herpes do not know it. Patients must visit a doctor if they notice any of these symptoms:

• Unusual sore
• Smelly genital discharge
• Burning when urinating
• Abnormal bleeding between periods

Herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum, or mouth. The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take a week or more to heal. These symptoms are sometimes called “having an outbreak.” The first time someone has an outbreak, they may also have flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, or swollen glands.

People who experience an initial outbreak of herpes can have repeated outbreaks, especially if they are infected with herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2). Repeat outbreaks are usually shorter and less severe than the first outbreak. Although the infection stays in the body for the rest of your life, the number of outbreaks may decrease over time.

One of the biggest problems in diagnosing genital herpes is test sensitivity. There are numerous reasons why cultures can be negative; one being that the disease may be caused by something other than herpes. Cultures also can test negative if the samples are not taken in an appropriate manner if there is a long transport time between the clinic and laboratory or if the cultures were taken late in the course of the lesions or sores. Lesions or sores that occur early during a herpes outbreak are much more likely to have positive cultures than cultures taken after the lesions crust are over.

There is no cure for herpes. However, there are medicines that can prevent or shorten outbreaks. Anti-herpes medicines such as Valacyclovir can be taken daily, which can reduce the spread of infection. Suppressive therapy can provide coverage for individuals who have frequent outbreaks. During therapy, an individual with frequent outbreaks takes a small dose of anti-herpes medication every day. It has been proven that suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks by over 90%. Patients have taken suppressive therapy for long periods of time, but in most cases, patients can be weaned from it.

Herpes and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are caused by different viruses; however, patients infected with these viruses are more likely to transmit either disease to their sexual partners. Patients with herpes are more susceptible to acquiring HIV. Individuals newly diagnosed with herpes should be tested for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections.