Symptoms of Herpes
Herpes is a virus and the symptoms of herpes depend on which of the eight strains of the virus you have acquired. There are several common types of herpes--chicken pox, which many children contract while in elementary school is caused by the varicella zoster virus. Although most children today are vaccinated against chicken pox, it is still a common childhood disease. Symptoms are red spots that can develop on the stomach, face, chest, back, throat, eyes, etc. that develop into a rash of blisters filled with liquid. There can be hundreds of spots, which will open and become crusty, causing severe itching. Some people with chicken pox also have a fever, headaches, cough or respiratory congestion. While still considered a mild virus in children the disease can be more severe in adults, especially pregnant women.
The herpes zoster virus is more commonly known as shingles. It is only acquired by those people who have had chicken pox. The chicken pox virus never goes away, it just lies dormant for years in nerve cells, and can be reactivated in adults, many times appearing when they are under stress or their immune system has been weakened. The symptoms of herpes zoster virus are a rash which occurs on one side of the body--either half of the chest curling around the breast, or on one side of the back. It can also appear on one side of the face, eyes, or neck. The outbreak can start as a burning, numbness, or tingling in the infected area, followed by intense pain. As in chicken pox, the area is covered with blisters which break open, ooze and then heal, accompanied by severe itching. There can also be flu-like fever and chills symptoms. Because this is a case of a virus lying dormant in the nerves, it can cause neuropathy in the area and along nerves leading to and from the infected site. It can take weeks and even months for shingles to disappear completely.
Other herpes viruses include two strains of roseola, which causes a fever and minor rashes in small children, a type that causes infections, such as mononucleosis, and Ramsey Hunt Syndrome, a virus which has many of the characteristics of shingles but only occurs on the face. This syndrome can cause the sores to break out inside or outside of the ear and nearby areas, and can lead to dizziness and even loss of hearing.
The two types of herpes that probably receive more attention than all the others are herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. Both of these viruses can cause cold sores on the mouth but these are usually caused by simplex virus 1. Once cold sores have broken out they can spread to the genitals. Symptoms of herpes simplex 1 include an initial tingling or burning in the sore spot followed by one or more blisters. The blisters will burst, leave a raw, tender area, and then crust over and dry up.
Although it’s not uncommon for herpes virus 2 to also cause cold sores, it is most apt to appear in the genital area. The biggest problem is that most of the people who have genital herpes don’t know it because they have no symptoms. People who do have symptoms of this form of herpes will experience small red blisters or open sores in the genitals, anus or in surrounding areas. Women most often have the sores in the vaginal area, cervix, external genitals, anus or buttocks. For men, the sores can appear on the penis, scrotum, anus, buttocks or thighs or in the urethra, between the penis and the bladder.
Symptoms of herpes 2 also will include the oozing and bleeding of these sores, followed by scabbing and healing. You may have flu-type symptoms and painful urination. As if these symptoms weren’t bad enough, once you have herpes it will reside in your nerves forever, and it is highly contagious especially when having sexual intercourse. The virus can pass through any opening in the skin, even if it is too small for you to see. You should abstain from sex when the sores are present but you might also be contagious at other times. As with shingles, stress or an impaired immune system can cause an outbreak. An oral medicine is available that can help the sores to heal, reduce the chances of the virus reoccurring, and lower the chances of your partner being infected. Currently there is no cure for any of the herpes viruses.