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What Does Herpes Look like?
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Some studies suggest that your chances of contracting the herpes virus at some point in your life may be as high as 6:1. With the potential for 1 out of every 6 people living today at serious risk of contracting herpes, many people want to know just what does herpes look like? We have designed this website to examine that question and many more questions that are on the minds of those who have contracted, think they may have contracted or just want to avoid contracting herpes. So what does herpes look like? Well I'm sure your familuar with the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words", so lets examine a few pictures of clinically diagnosed cases of oral herpes. Later we will turn or attention to genital herpes and if you wish to examine pictures of genital herpes we have some on a seperate webpage titled Genital Herpes pictures facts. What does oral herpes look like? These are pictures of persons diagnosed with oral herpes, commonly refered to as cold sores.
Some of you may be thinking, "That's not herpes, it's just a cold sore!" Sorry to have to tell you this but a cold sore IS the herpes virus at work. Herpes Simplex Type 1 is the strain of the herpes virus that is generally known to infect the facial area of the body and is commonly refered to a cold sores. The first sign of an oral herpes outbreak is a tingling sensation followed by a reddening of the area. This then turns to a red spot or spots which become fluid filled blisters. Eventually these blisters break open and discharge a watery fluid. This fluid is teaming with millions of herpes virus cells consequently making this the most contagious period for passing the herpes virus on to others. In most cases, oral herpes or cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex 1 virus and genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex 2 virus. However, you should be aware that oral herpes CAN be transferred to the genitals area and genital herpes CAN be transferred the mouth and facial area in rare cases. Does Herpes Look like a pimple ? No. Pimples are acne, which is usually caused by a bacteria and not a virus like herpes. While some herpes sores may resemble a pimple at some stage during the evolution of the outbreak (see link to pics above), for the most part, it would be pretty hard to mistake a herpes sore for a pimple or visa-versa. Herpes blisters usually break open on their own a weep a clear fluid before eventually crusting over. A pimple, unlike a herpes sore, will rarely "pop" on it's own and usually has a white or puss colored core with very little weeping if any. So we have covered what oral herpes looks like and now it is time to answer the question, What Does Genital Herpes Look like ? (for clinical pictures of genital herpes click the link above)
Most people realize something is definatly wrong the moment they have their first herpes outbreak. However, It is possible to have symptoms so mild that you don't even notice them at all unless they know exactly what to look for. Before an outbreak, many people experience tingling, itchiness or burning in the genital area. Some experience nerve pain in the buttocks or down the leg. Symptoms that most often occur during a 'primary' or first outbreak may include pain while urinating or difficulty emptying the bladder, swollen lymph nodes near the groin located in the front of the body where the legs meet the pelvis, discharge from the vagina and mild to sever itching where the outbreak is about to occur. Fever, headache with a sensitivity to light and flu-like symptoms, like tiredness and sore muscles are also common. The actual sores associated with a herpes outbreak can be anywhere in size from 1 mm to greater than 2 cm in diameter. A specific location on the genitals may be raw, painful and or itchy. Tiny blisters filled with a clear or whitish fluid that eventually burst, then scab over will usually appear very soon following the initial symptoms. These sores are not very deep but right on the skin’s surface. Herpes Treatment Although there is no know herpes treatments that are reconized by the medical community as an absolute 'cure' for either cold sores or genital herpes, some products DO hold more promise than others (And they are not always the ones put out buy the rich drug companies). For instance, there are genital herpes herbal treatments that have been so effective in stopping herpes outbreaks that the manufactures are confident enough to give a 'satisfaction guarentees or your money back' promise. While this herbal treatment was developed for genital herpes, it has been just as effective in stopping the outbreak of cold sores also. We will be looking deeper into herpes treatments in future articles. |
