Herpes Facts
HERPES FACT SHEET
WHAT IS HERPES?
Herpes is a family of viruses that can infect the human body. Herpes family viruses include:
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): This virus causes fever blisters (also called cold sores), and genital herpes.
- Herpes Varacella Zoster: This virus causes chickenpox and is the same virus that can later cause shingles.
- Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Human Herpes Virus (HHV) 6, 7 & 8: These are systemic viral infections that travel in the blood stream through out the body causing mono like symptoms & sometimes are associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). HHV6 may be associated with lymphomas. HHV7 may be associated with periodontal disease. HHV8 has been linked to Kaposi’s sarcoma.
HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV-1 & HSV-2)
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is a contagious skin virus. There are 2 stains of Herpes Simplex Virus called HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can infect any surface of the body. HSV tends to infect mucus membranes such as the lips, eye, nose, vulva, penis or anus. However HSV can also cause an infection deep inside the vagina or anus where it may not be felt or seen. HSV can also infect the face, neck, torso, fingers, legs or other body surfaces. When a person becomes infected with HSV, the virus enters the skins cells and nerve endings. The HSV infection causes blisters and sores to form that can take several days to weeks to heal. Once the sores have healed, HSV travels from the nerve endings at the surface down nerve pathways deeper into the body where it becomes dormant or inactive in the spinal column. HSV can become active again later traveling up the same nerve pathways to the surface of the skin causing another outbreak. This is why outbreaks reoccur in the same spot over and over.
HSV tends to reoccur following periods of stress, excessive sun exposure to any part of the body, irregular eating habits such as excessive intake of sugar, coffee, alcohol, hot spicy foods, fired foods, manufactured non-food fats such margarine, cigarette smoking and toxic chemical exposure.
HSV SYMPTOMS
At the beginning of an HSV outbreak a tingly itchy and sometimes red irritation typically forms on the skin. Within a matter of hours tiny itchy blisters appear which break open usually within 1-2 days. The broken blisters cause sores that ooze a clear runny pale yellow fluid, which becomes sticky as it dries. The sores are usually itchy and painful forming a thick pale yellow scab over the surface that turns darker and crusty as days pass. It is common for lymph nodes near the HSV outbreak to swell in an attempt to fight the infection. Swollen lymph nodes can feel like tender kidney bean shaped bumps beneath the skin, usually located under the chin if the HSV outbreak is on the lips or in the groin if the HSV outbreak is on the genitals.
An HSV outbreak may last anywhere from a couple of days to 3 weeks or longer. HSV sores often take much longer to heal than the average uninfected cut or sore. During the outbreak HSV can spread to neighboring skin. A healthy immune system will fight back against the infection to heal the HSV sores.
HSV TRANSMISSION
It is widely believed by most medical experts that HSV is contagious starting at the time the virus begins to travel to the surface of the skin causing an initial itching tingling and redness, called the “prodromal phase”. HSV blisters and sores are particularly contagious. HSV continues to be contagious until the HSV scabs are completely gone and the skin is totally healed and smooth. During the time the virus comes to the surface of the skin and sores and scabs are present the virus is said to be “shedding” (meaning present at the surface of the skin) and therefore contagious. It is during this time that the virus can be transmitted to a partner, or another part of the body.
The majority of people who have became sexually infected with HSV know they became infected from having unprotected sex with a partner having an outbreak. However, some people believe that they may have become infected with HSV even though their partner insists they did not have an outbreak. There could be several explanations for this.
In some cases a partner’s HSV might not produce symptoms as it starts to come to the surface of their skin. Having unprotected sex at this stage can transmit HSV even though there are not sores. While some people don’t notice symptoms at this stage, most feel a tingling itchy feeling alerting them to the beginning of an outbreak so precautions can be taken to avoid transmission.
Another possibility is to have become infected with HSV from a previous partner but not experience an outbreak right away. While most people have their first outbreak within one to three weeks after becoming infected, it is possible for several years to pass before an outbreak develops. Some initial outbreaks are very minor and can be mistaken for other skin conditions resulting in a person falsely believing that they had never had an HSV outbreak before.
Finally, and unfortunately, some people simply may not tell their partner they are having an HSV outbreak at the time of sex.
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT HSV-1 & HSV-2
There is NO significant difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2 other than the fact that labs can now more easily distinguish between the two types with the Herpes Select antibody blood test. Because each strain of HSV triggers the immune system to make a different set of antibodies, separate antibody blood tests are required to detect each strain.
FACT: HSV-1 and HSV-2 can infect ANY surface of the body. HSV-1 and HSV- 2 can infect both lips and the genitals. HSV can also infect the eye, inside the nose, the face, and anus and even the fingers from picking HSV sores. It is a MYTH that HSV-1 can only infect the lips. Likewise, it is a MYTH that HSV-2 can only infect the genitals.
FACT: HSV-1 and HSV-2 can are equally contagious and can be easily transmitted to another person, or to an other parts of your own body through direct contact with HSV sores. A parent with an HSV cold sore on their lip can transmit HSV to their child by innocently giving their child a kiss. HSV is frequently transmitted from an outbreak on the lips to a partners genitals during oral sex. One of my clients accidentally transmitted HSV from a cold sore on his lip to his genitals because he did not wash his hands after touching the HSV sore on his lip before touching his penis to urinate. He also accidentally infected his eye in this manner by not washing his hands after touching his HSV lip sore and inserting a contact lens, and the inside of his nose as well. It is a MYTH that HSV-1 is not sexually transmitted. Likewise, it is a MYTH that HSV-2 is only sexually transmitted.
FACT: HSV-1 and HSV-2 can cause the exact same symptoms. They look and feel exactly the same. No one can tell if an outbreak is HSV-1 or HSV-2 by looking. You can only tell by testing.
FACT: HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be equally severe and take the same length of time to heal. I have had clients with genital HSV-2 who’s minor infrequent outbreaks lasted only a day or two. I have also had clients with HSV-1 on the lips who’s large painful monthly outbreaks lasted two to three weeks. It is a MYTH that HSV-2 produces outbreaks that are more severe and long lasting than HSV-1.
FACT: HSV-1 cannot change into HSV-2, and HSV-2 cannot change into HSV-1 in the body. They are two separate strains.
FACT: HSV-1 & HSV-2 cannot be transported in your blood from one part of your body to another part of your body causing outbreaks in other areas. HSV can only be transmitted to another part of your body if you touch the active HSV sores and then touch another part of your body without thoroughly washing your hands first with warm soapy water.
HSV TESTING
Currently there are 2 main ways of testing for HSV: by an antibody blood test or by a culture.
HSV 1 & 2 Select Antibody Blood Test- This test looks for HSV type 1 and HSV type 2 antibodies. This test is very accurate in not only detecting HSV antibodies but also distinguishing between HSV type 1 and HSV type 2. It takes most people at least 1 month after becoming infected with HSV to develop enough antibodies in their blood for the antibodies to be easily detected by this blood test.
HSV Culture- This test is done by swabbing a rash or sore during a suspected outbreak with a special q-tip that is sent to a lab in a special viral culture media test tube. The lab then grows the culture to look for evidence of HSV. This test is most accurate if it is done as soon after the appearance of a rash or sores as possible.
Stayed tuned... more information soon!
HSV AND SAFER SEX
Safer sex can help reduce the risk of sexual transmission of HSV-1 and HSV-2. Be aware that if you touch an HSV sore and don’t wash your hands vigorously with warm soapy water before touching a partners genitals you can transmit HSV from your fingers to a partners genitals or to your own genitals. If your fingers touch HSV sores while putting on a condom and then touch the outside of the condom while rolling it on to the penis you can transfer the virus from your fingers to the outside of the condom which can then infect a partner during sex.
Stay tuned… more information soon!