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Herpes:
INFORMATION:
Who Has Herpes?
Herpes has been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, which explains why its name comes from the Greek word herpein, that means "to creep" or "to crawl." But what causes herpes to break out again and again remains a medical mystery. Today herpes has become a widespread infection that doesn't discriminate between social or economic class. Experts estimate that genital herpes affects up to 60 million people, or one in five Americans over the age of 12. In 1991 an estimated 45 million Americans were infected with the virus that causes genital herpes. And millions more have cold sores.
Take Charge of Genital Herpes
Learning that you have genital herpes (GH) can be hard. It's tough enough to deal with the effects of GH on your relationships and personal life, and coping with unpredictable outbreaks can be even worse. But you don't have to suffer in silence.
You can arm yourself with information about genital herpes and gain the confidence to take charge of your life. You can learn about treatments that help make genital herpes outbreaks less severe, and some that may even prevent future outbreaks from occuring. You can learn about having safer sex and know what to do if you plan to get pregnant. You can seek out support groups and talk to others who have GH. And, you can talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your options.
In short, you can take charge. The more you know about your condition, the better you'll become at controlling your genital herpes.
Genital Herpes
Initial infection. How does it all begin? Unlike viruses such as influenza, which can be spread through the air, the herpes simplex virus requires close physical contact. Herpes is spread by skin-to-skin contact. This happens when an infected area comes into contact primarily with the mouth and/or the genitals.
After contact, the herpes virus (either HSV-1 or HSV-2) enters your body and penetrates your cells' reproductive mechanism and makes new viruses. You may or may not see blisters and inflammation associated with the herpes infection. Once you have it, there is currently no known way to get rid of it.
The first outbreak. Genital herpes symptoms usually develop within 2 to 20 days after contact with the virus, although it could take longer, and your symptoms may last up to 2 to 3 weeks. In some cases, the first outbreak is so mild it goes unnoticed. In others, the first attack is more severe, causing visible sores that are painful and may itch, burn, or tingle. Either way, you may get more outbreaks later.
Genital Herpes Symptoms
When the virus gets into skin cells and starts to multiply, you may feel a throbbing or aching in the area. Your skin may become red and sensitive, and then blisters or bumps may appear.
The blisters first open, and then heal as new skin tissue forms.
Flu-like symptoms are also common. These include swollen lymph glands, headache, muscle ache, or fever up to 102º F.
Genital herpes may also infect the urethra, causing a burning sensation during urination.
After the sores heal, they usually leave no lasting scars.
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A few days following the first infection, and after each outbreak, the virus travels from your skin to nerve cells. There the virus sleeps, waiting in an inactive form. During this period, you'll show no symptoms and have no blisters or inflammation at all.
Hidden Danger: Asymptomatic Shedding
You should know that even when you don't see any symptoms of a herpes outbreak, it's still possible to spread the virus to others. Sometimes, the virus reproduces itself but not so strongly that it actually produces an outbreak. This is called "asymptomatic viral shedding." During this time, the live virus is actually on your skin near the area where you generally get outbreaks. So you can still pass the virus to another person even though you don't have an outbreak. One study estimates that almost 70% of the cases of genital herpes are spread through "asymptomatic viral shedding."
Returning Outbreaks
When an outbreak returns, something triggers the sleeping virus, such as stress, excessive sunlight, menstruation, vigorous sexual activity, or a worn-down immune system. The virus "wakes up" in different people for different reasons, and the process behind it isn't fully understood. Once triggered, the virus begins to multiply and your symptoms reappear, usually at the site of the original infection. The blisters generally heal in 7 to 10 days.
Both oral and genital herpes outbreaks can return. Some people have frequent outbreaks, while other people have them rarely. On average, people with genital herpes get about 3 or 4 outbreaks a year. Some 60 to 90% of people with genital herpes get returning outbreaks, while only 20 to 40% of people with cold sores get outbreaks.
The effects of herpes over time can vary from person to person. For many people, the initial genital herpes infection is the worst. A returning genital herpes outbreak is generally less severe because the body has developed some immunity. Ultimately, for most people, the number and severity of genital herpes outbreaks will lessen at some point in their lives.
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