If you develop sores on your mouth or face, chances are you’re suffering from facial herpes. A type of herpes that causes fluid-filled blisters on the face or mouth, facial herpes can be caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) or HSV-2. It is very contagious and spreads through skin contact or body fluids. It has no cure however; it gets better on its own. Treatment can speed up the healing process and lower the risk of future recurrence. Learn what causes facial herpes, its symptoms, and effective treatment options in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
Causes & risk factors
Facial herpes is caused by two types of herpes simplex viruses. These types are intricately connected and both spread through bodily fluids and human skin contact, in different ways. The virus sometimes doesn’t cause any symptoms, but it still spreads to another person.
HSV-1 or oral herpes
This type of herpes infection is mostly contracted by infants or children. It can spread through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, kissing, or sharing personal items like lip balm, tableware, or toothbrushes.
HSV-2, or genital herpes
This type of herpes infection spreads through sexual contact. HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes when saliva enters the body during oral sex. HSV-2 can spread to an infant during childbirth. Both these forms of virus enter the nerve cells of the body and stay there for life. However, it can become dormant or asleep in the cells until something activates it and causes an outbreak.
Factors that cause an outbreak of herpes symptoms are
- Emotional stress
- Illness
- Fever
- Sunlight exposure
- Menstruation
- Surgery
Symptoms
Facial herpes usually appears on the skin. Generally, small sores occur around the mouth, nose, or genitals, however, they can also appear anywhere on the body. These rashes appear where the person contracts the infection.
When herpes breaks out for the first time, a person experiences symptoms like:
- Tingling
- Burning
- Itching sensation in the affected area
These symptoms occur a day or two before the sores appear. The sores can be tender and painful. It may appear like clusters of small, fluid-filled blisters that become pustules. In some days or weeks, it may break open, ooze fluid, and form a crust before healing. The rash can last for around 7 to 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks).
The first time a rash appears, its duration can be different depending on the type of herpes. For example, oral herpes symptoms can clear up in 2 to 3 weeks, whereas genital herpes symptoms clear up in 2 to 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months).
Some people, during their first outbreak, also experience some additional symptoms, including:
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Muscle aches
- Difficulty urinating
Once the virus enters the body, it attacks the nerves that are connected to the skin and stays there for life. Symptoms are more or less the same when it is reactivated by the triggers mentioned above. The prevalence of these recurrent outbreaks varies from person to person.
Diagnosis
To diagnose facial herpes, the doctor first performs a physical exam to check your symptoms and conducts a review of your medical history. The doctor checks where the sores and blisters are and how they look. Usually, this is enough, but sometimes to confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may take a sample from your sore to check under a microscope. If you don’t have sores, your doctor may take a blood sample to check for antibodies that are formed by the immune system’s response to HSV-1 or HSV-2. This confirms if you have been infected with HSV, although it won’t confirm whether it is an active infection or not.
Treatment & Prevention
Currently, there’s no cure for facial herpes or herpes in general, but the sores usually clear on their own. With treatment, it can shorten the duration of the outbreak and ease your symptoms. If a person gets frequent outbreaks, their doctor may recommend taking medication every day to lower the risk of frequent outbreaks. This treatment is known as prophylaxis. Usually, treatment is done with antiviral medications based on the severity and type of virus. Sometimes, antiviral creams and ointments are used to relieve burning, itching, or tingling. These medications can speed up the healing process. They include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir. Take these medications as prescribed.
Several factors that trigger your facial herpes can be prevented, including:
- If sunlight triggers your condition, apply sunblock creams to the spots where you develop cold sores or get an oral antiviral medicine before outdoor activities that cause an outbreak.
- If you’re having symptoms, avoid kissing people on the mouth or performing oral sex until your sores heal, and your skin looks normal.
- Don’t share personal items like lip balms, towels, or toothbrushes. Don’t eat or drink after others or allow others to eat or drink after you.
- Even if you or your partner has no symptoms, consider using a dental dam or condom when doing or receiving oral sex.
- When you have cold sores, wash your hands carefully before touching yourself or other people, especially babies.
Facial herpes occurs from a common virus that affects your skin or genitals. It usually causes cold sores on the mouth and face. While it has no cure, generally, sores get better on their own. But with the help of treatment, this process gets faster and lowers the risk of future recurrence. Facial herpes treatment is given by antiviral medications. Make sure you take the medications as prescribed and follow the above-mentioned prevention tips to lower the risk of recurrent herpes infection.
Need help with a herpes infection? Visit our infectious disease specialist in the Brooklyn clinic to get a professional diagnosis and treatment. Call us to book your appointment now!!! Our infectious disease doctors make sure your condition gets diagnosed and treated properly. For more information or to make an appointment, call us to get a consultation. Call us on +1-718-367-2555 If you need any information on infections, log on to www.doralhw.org get a consultation. We have the best doctors that can help you and improve your quality.
