Recognizing Herpes Symptoms
Do you think that you may have herpes? Do you have someone close to you who suspects they may have herpes? If you think you may have any type of herpes, the most important thing to do is seek immediate medical treatment from a professional so that you can get a definite diagnosis. It is best to do this while the outbreak is still active if at all possible.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t learn to recognize some of the symptoms yourself. The more familiar you become with the symptoms, the better it will help you at preventing and treatment recurrences in the future. For example, if you do have herpes and you can learn to recognize the signs that an outbreak is coming on, you can take early action to treat it.
The symptoms of herpes can vary greatly from person to person and also depending on the type of herpes you have. Genital herpes will usually take place on the genitals, anal area and inner thighs. Oral herpes can be on the lips, mouth or around the mouth and face. In some rare cases, it can also spread to the eye.
The first outbreak is often the worst and can be very painful with open blisters that burn and sting. However, they are sometimes so mild that they go unnoticed or they are blamed for being something else. The first outbreak can last from 10-21 days and usually happens within 2 to 20 days of contact.
The infected area will have herpes symptoms of pain, burning, itching, tingling and more. You may also have headache, muscle ache, fever, swollen lymph nodes, lower back pain, small red bumps in the area and ore. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all. This is called “asymptomatic”.
Recurrences of the virus usually come with what are called prodromal symptoms or warning signs. These could be tingling in the area, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, etc. For many people who learn to recognize these early signs and symptoms, early repressive treatment can keep an outbreak from happening or at least reduce the duration of it.
