Symptoms Of Herpes

Symptoms Of Herpes
Written by Smith Johnson   
The symptoms of herpes are very serious.  If you have been exposed to herpes at some point, and it takes only minor contact with an infected person to get them, chances are you will begin to see symptoms within the first month or two.  For every person, though, the symptoms can be different at the start.  For most people, herpes is painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing to talk about.  Yet, you need to talk with your doctor about the symptoms of herpes you are experiencing because medications are available that can minimize the pain and suffering that you are going through.

Genital herpes is a condition that includes pain, sores and itching in the genital region of your body.  It is found on both men and women.  It is a highly contagious condition, especially during an outbreak.  An outbreak is when the symptoms of herpes erupt.  You are likely to have sores, blisters and a rash in the genital region.  These symptoms will come and go as the virus becomes active and later is inactive.  There is no cure for herpes and you do not get rid of it when the symptoms of herpes disappear.  That is because the condition hides deep within your body's tissues most of the time.  It can attack your body at any time, leaving you with an outbreak that can be painful.

Were You Exposed?

For those that are exposed to herpes, the fact is that you are likely to have gotten it, especially if the other person is having an outbreak at the time of contact.  Yet, you can also get it, though rarer, through contact with a person that is not having an outbreak but has herpes in its inactive form.  The disease is spread through small breaks in your skin as well as through mucous membranes.  The most common way to spread it is through sexual contact.  Individuals can also spread it through oral contact in the other form of the condition, oral herpes.  In this particular part of the disease, individuals can spread it by simply kissing, touching or sharing utensils with an individual having an outbreak.

What Is Herpes?

If you think you may be exposed to the symptoms of herpes, you should learn what it is.  The disease is called herpes simplex virus, or is abbreviated HSV.  There are two strains of this disease.  HSV 1 is a condition that is mainly oral spreading.  HSV 2 is the most common form of herpes and is the genital version.  HSV 1 can cause genital herpes, but HSV 2 is rarely seen above the waistline of individuals.  The disease is one that is very common today.  In fact, doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who monitor the outbreak and conditions of various diseases, say that it is likely that one in six people that are sexually active have herpes.  This includes both teenagers and adults in the United States.

The disease offers no cure, yet medications are available to help treat the disease.  The disease is characterized by a recurrent rash that comes and goes at various intervals.  There is no way to determine when the next outbreak will happen.  More so, some people have many outbreaks over their lifetime while others have very few.  Many that have genital herpes do not realize it.  In fact, it is estimated that upwards of 80 percent do not know that they have the condition.  For this reason, it is up to you to avoid having sexual contact with anyone that displays any of the symptoms of herpes.  Doing so allows you to become infected with the condition.  If you have been diagnosised as having herpes that does not mean that you can never have sex again.  In fact, you can especially once you get on the medications for treatment of herpes and use as much protection as available.  

The spread of genital herpes is considered very worrisome because it is readily found in locations where close contact is the norm, such as in dorms of colleges.  Through careful consideration of your sexual partners and through protection, individuals can safeguard themselves from getting the condition.

The Symptoms To Look For

The symptoms of herpes vary, and in many cases, you may not realize that you have the virus at all.  Many times, there are no signs or symptoms of herpes present in the individual.  In other cases, the symptoms can be very mild, causing individuals to no realize that they are even having them.  In most individuals, the very first outbreak is the largest and most painful.  In some individuals, the outbreaks may not happen again for several years.  In rare cases, outbreaks can happen as limited as an initial outbreak and then not another for 20 or more years.

Symptoms can include: Small, red and painful bumps on the skin.  These often start small and minor and then worsen.
  • The red bumps will then become blisters that have fluid within them.  The blisters can vary in size.
  • The blisters will then break open, causing the skin to have open sores on it.  The sores will then scab over and heal before going away.
  • The symptoms of herpes usually happen in the genital area including the inner thighs and buttocks as well.   This includes the penis, scrotum, anus, thighs, the urethra and buttocks for men and the vaginal area, buttocks, anus, cervix, and external genitals of women.
  • Itching and pain is also present in most cases.
Initial symptoms of herpes often include flu like symptoms several weeks after the initial contact with the individual.  This may include a fever, headaches, chills, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes.  Nausea and vomiting may also accompany these symptoms.  

Individuals that think that they could have been exposed to the symptoms of herpes, or those that may have the condition should talk to their doctor about possible medications and treatments that can limit the number of outbreaks as well as the severity of them.  In most patients, living with herpes is possible without having to adjust their lives too much.
 
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