No one wants to wake up one morning and find out they have an STI. It can be very uncomfortable or painful. There’s also a stigma to having genital herpes. People will often avoid others. It can also be difficult to find sexual partners as they may not wish to contract the disease. Many people who have genital herpes only choose partners who also have the disease.
Genital Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. This virus can lay dormant for a very long period of time before it flares up, causing discomfort and pain through sore blisters. Genital herpes tends to be the most painful version of the HSV virus. Those who have the virus will also often get blisters around their lips as well when they have a breakout.
What is HSV-1?
The herpes simplex virus is broken up into two different types. HSV-1 is often considered to be oral herpes, while HSV-2 is genital herpes. HSV-1 is very common and affects many people who don’t even know they are affected.
HSV-1 is transferred through body fluids or mucus. This can be done through sexual content, orally or other methods. While HSV-1 can be somewhat gentle, the HSV-2 is much more aggressive. Genital herpes can be far more painful during an outbreak than other versions.
The key to HSV is how it lays dormant. People who are infected with either version may not know they have been infected for a number of hours.
HSV Symptoms
Some people aren’t sure if what they have is Genital Herpes or perhaps something else. Here are some of the symptoms that people can expect if they have HSV:
- Tingling or Numbing - The genital region may feel some odd feelings. These can include increased feeling like tingling or it can include burning sensations.
- Awful Urination - Those with HSV may feel a lot of pain while they are trying to urinate. It can burn, but also be very frustrating as it’s difficult for people to even urinate at all.
- Blisters - The genital blisters are the watery type. If they burst, the fluid will escape and they will be even more painful.
Herpetic Whitlow
Most people expect the genital herpes virus to create blisters around their lips and in their genital regions. However that is not the only place where people can suffer thanks to the HSV virus. Many people suffer from what’s known as herpetic whitlow. Herpetic whitlow is sores or lesions that occur on people’s fingers or thumbs. These tend to occur right by the nail or on the cuticle.
There are various symptoms that people could potentially experience. Many experience swelling, red skin and tenderness. This is directly on the finger itself. However, there are symptoms that aren’t directly related to the physical breakouts as well.
Like many herpes related sores, herpetic whitlow will go away between two to three weeks. However there are options for people who want to treat it early. There are more than a few antiviral medications available. Some are topical, but many others are in pill form. People should avoid trying to lanse the lesions. This can make things much worse.
Most people who get herpetic whitlow as adults get it because they suffer from genital herpes. This typically means they suffer from the HSV-2 virus instead of HSV-1. Some adults are unfortunate and tend to get herpetic whitlow easily. Dentists and dental hygienists are often reaching into mouths. Any tears in their gloves can easily transfer the herpes simplex virus to these people.