Can you have genital herpes and oral herpes

What is herpes and is there a cure for it? Read on to learn about the contagious herpes simplex virus.

What is Herpes?

Herpes is a contagious viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two members of the herpes simplex virus family: HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1, or oral herpes, can cause cold sores and blisters around the mouth and on one’s face, while HSV-2 can lead to genital herpes outbreaks.

Although generally a mild infection, herpes can lead to itchy and painful blisters that recur periodically, affecting your everyday activities. The infection may also lead to potentially fatal complications for newborns, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

Herpes Causes and Risk Factors

Anyone can be infected with HSV, which spreads through skin-to-skin contact and exposure to the saliva of an infected person. This means that herpes can be transmitted through various forms of direct contact, from kissing to the sharing of eating utensils.

Genital herpes also spreads through unprotected sexual intercourse. Pregnant mothers with genital herpes may risk passing the infection and related complications such as meningitis, seizures, blindness or mental disabilities to their unborn children. 

Herpes Symptoms and Signs

The HSV-1 strain usually manifests as cold sores or blisters on the lip, inside the mouth or on the genitals. The eyes and nervous system can be affected too. These sores and blisters may, at times, develop into painful ulcers. Other common symptoms of HSV-1 include:

•Swollen, red gums

•A white coating on the tongue

•Swollen neck glands

•A fever 

•Muscle aches 

These symptoms may not occur immediately upon infection, and could appear days, weeks or even years after you have been infected with herpes.

The HSV-2 strain can lead to genital herpes, affecting the vagina or penis and scrotum, as well as the buttocks and rectal area. This HSV strain may also infect the mouth during oral sex.

Some common symptoms associated with HSV-2 are:

•An itching or painful sensation around your genitals or anal region

•Painful, oozing sores

•Pain during urination

•Swollen lymph nodes

•A fever 

Unlike most other viruses, the herpes simplex virus cannot be permanently removed from the body and continues to reside in the nerves. As such, there is always a possibility of the symptoms surfacing again. This may happen when your body is under physical or mental stress. Hormonal changes caused by changes in your body, including pregnancy and menstruation, can also cause these symptoms to flare up.

Complications of Herpes

Serious complications that may arise from an HSV infection include:

•An eye infection and scarring of the eye without immediate medical attention 

•Brain damage, seizures and blindness or even death of a newborn if the mother has herpes

Herpes: Screening and Diagnosis

An HSV infection is commonly diagnosed through a physical examination of a person’s skin lesions. Doctors may also conduct laboratory tests, including blood tests, microscopic examinations and viral culture tests, if results from the physical examination are uncertain. Do note that some tests are only valid in the early stages of a herpes simplex virus infection.

Herpes Treatment Methods

There is currently no cure for herpes but oral antiviral medications are available to treat sores, speed up the healing process and limit outbreaks. You may consult your doctor for more advice.

Prevention of Herpes

There is no available vaccine that prevents the spread of this contagious viral infection. However, there are ways to protect yourself and others from contracting herpes.

These include:

•Not sharing food and utensils with others who have cold sores or ulcers

• Avoiding close, physical contact with infected persons

•Practising safe sex and informing your partner immediately if you have genital herpes

•Maintaining a strong immune system through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and rest

Oral herpes is an infection typically caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Commonly referred to as “cold sores” and “fever blisters,” symptoms of oral herpes most commonly appear on or around the lips. Oral herpes is not always limited to this area, though. For some, symptoms may appear between the upper lip, on or inside the nose, or on the chin or cheek. In these instances, herpes is referred to as oral-facial herpes. You have most likely seen someone experiencing an oral herpes outbreak before.

How does someone get oral herpes?

Oral herpes is transmitted through direct contact between the contagious area and broken skin (a cut or break) and mucous membrane tissue (such as the mouth or genitals). In other words, HSV can be passed on through kissing or oral sex.

Herpes can also be transmitted when there are no symptoms present. There are several days throughout the year when the virus reactivates yet causes no symptoms (called asymptomatic shedding, viral shedding, or asymptomatic reactivation).

If a person is experiencing symptoms orally, we recommend abstaining from performing oral sex and kissing others directly on the mouth until signs have healed and the skin looks normal again. Because most adults have oral herpes, we don’t suggest that a person should stop giving or receiving affection altogether between outbreaks (when there are no signs or symptoms) simply because they have oral herpes. However, using a barrier (such as a dental dam) or condom when performing oral sex (even though there are no symptoms present around the mouth) can reduce the risk of contracting genital herpes.

By performing oral sex on someone who has genital herpes, it would be possible to contract oral herpes – but this is rare. Most cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-2, which rarely affects the mouth or face. Also, and even more importantly, most adults already have oral HSV-1, contracted as a child through kissing relatives or friends.

The First episode

A primary infection with oral herpes can be similar to a first episode of genital herpes in that symptoms can be more severe. During the first episode, classic lesions tend to form as small fluid-filled blisters that can appear as a single blister or in a cluster. Sores may also appear inside the mouth or on the back of the throat, and the lymph nodes in the neck may swell.

Like genital herpes, though, symptoms of oral herpes can be very mild and go unnoticed. Subtle symptoms can be easily mistaken for another infection or condition such as a small crack or cut in the skin, chapped lips, bug bite, or a pimple, to name a few examples.

Recurrences

At least a quarter of people with oral herpes experience recurrences. Again, as with the first episode, symptoms vary from person to person. Lesions may appear as either a blister or a cluster of blisters or sores. It is possible that a recurrence will involve only the subtle symptoms described above.

Signs and symptoms of a recurrent episode (when they occur) tend to last about 8 – 10 days on average. Blister- or sore-like lesions will usually crust over during the healing phase.

If a person had fairly mild symptoms in their first episode, then recurrences will likely also tend to be mild. The number of recurrences varies from person to person and tends to decrease over time. Exposure to sunlight’s ultraviolet rays may trigger a recurrence.

Many people will experience a “prodrome” or warning symptom prior to developing an outbreak. As you may recall from the section on genital herpes, a “prodrome” is an itching, tingling, or painful sensation in the area where their recurrent lesions will develop. The prodrome often precedes lesions by a day or two. During this time, it is best to assume virus is active (and, therefore, can be spread through close contact).