Understanding Herpes Symptoms is the First Step in Beating the Blister

There you are getting ready for your date and it starts. The tell tale herpes symptoms you are all too familiar with that indicates the beginning of the end! Often it's a tingling and burning sensation just under your nose or on top of your lip but it could be anywhere, literally!

Then as your anxiety over the impending outbreak increases the actual blister begins to form. It seems nothing you do will stop this embarrassing freight train of pain and disfigurement.

How many times have you been down this miserable road?

Well, understanding the actual cycle that goes with a cold sore can shed some light on the many possible ways to treat it. As you will see some treatments are much more effective than others but they are all worth knowing about.

Symptoms can vary depending on the stage of the virus meaning the initial or primary outbreak, as well as the cycle of recurrence. Both herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 create similar symptoms, but they often differ in severity depending on the infection location.

Interestingly greater than 60% of first time HSV-2 infections and about 30% of initial HSV-1 infections produce little or no symptoms. On the other hand for those that do have symptoms during the primary outbreak they can be quite intense. The following is a list of common symptoms of the Herpes Simplex virus and those of subsequent breakouts.

Herpes Symptom Timing:

Usually develop within 2 days to 1 month after exposure.

Often continue for up to 14 days.

May be so mild it goes unnoticed (as noted above).

When the herpes virus gets into skin cells it reproduces itself and starts to rapidly multiply. This reproduction makes the skin red, swollen, tingly and quite sensitive. Blisters or bumps may appear on the region of infection, the blisters swell till they burst open then over the course of 10-14 days begin healing with the regeneration of healthy skin.

Herpes Symptoms can Include:

Pain, itching, burning, or tingling

Fluid filled blisters develop around infected area

Swollen lymph glands

Low grade fever

Headache

Muscle soreness

For those with no Symptoms:

As mentioned above, from 30% to 60% of people who have contracted the Herpes Virus show no signs of the disease and are unaware that they are infected, but they are definitely capable of transmitting the virus to others. This type of infection transference is called "asymptomatic viral shedding".

Recurrences:

Subsequent recurrences of the virus may cause an outbreak of blisters.

Recurrent Infection Symptoms:

Symptoms are shorter and less severe than the first infection

Can decrease in both severity and frequency over time

Usually preceded by prodromal symptoms of tingling

Total healing occurs in half the time as the first outbreak

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