Cause: herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types, virus type I and II. Type I generally is found on the the lips, and type II is found more often on the genitalia, but the two viruses can easily infect any mucous membranes (see below).

Incubation Period: 5 to 10 days, but rarely longer than four weeks. If you get infected, you'll see the symptoms pretty soon.

Transmission: Herpes can be passed pretty easily, depending on how good your health is. The easiest way to get it is by intimate skin contact between the affected partner's skin and your own bare skin. Thus, oral contact of any type can transmit it: kissing, blow jobs, going down on a woman, and rimming (oral-anal contact). Any time there is direct skin contact with an open sore, there is a chance of infection.

Transmission can also occur by secondary contact. This is pretty hard to do, though. Sometimes people with sores on their genitals can spread the disease with their hand to their eyes or mouth by autoinnoculation. Hand-washing is thus important if you have herpes.

Finally, some people who have herpes can pass it on even if you can't see any sores. The best way to find out if your sex partner has it is to ask them!

What to Look For: Herpes is pretty common. When it's found around the lips, it's called cold sores. They can also occur on the perineum, the anus, penis, vagina, and eyes. These are the most common places. However, it can happen almost anywhere on your body if the infection is spread there. If you have a herpes outbreak on your hand, for example, it is probably because you had a cut on your hand that came into direct contact with some herpes sores. On the hands, it's called "herpetic whitlow."

Outbreaks of herpes can occur several times a year, brought on by stress, sunlight, or sickness. Other people find that certain foods can bring on an outbreak; some examples are peanuts, coffee, alcohol...if you have cold sores or genital herpes, you may have noticed that they break out more when you've eaten certain foods. It's different for every person.

When outbreaks occur, there is at first a burning, itching sensation with redness in the affected area. In a day, painful, red grape-like clusters of fluid-filled blisters appear. In one to three weeks, these scab over and heal up, leaving a red scar that goes away with time. Then the vius becomes latent and hides in your body until the next time it decides to come out.

In the vagina, there may be some discharge. Herpes lesions here are difficult to see if they are far inside the vagina. However, the itching and burning sensations are present, along with feelings of pressure in the genital area. In some cases, women won't even know they have herpes.

In men and women, if the blisters are inside the hole that piss comes out of (the urethra), there may be pain when you pee.

Treatment: There is a common saying that "Herpes is for Life." Herpes can be treated, but it can not be cured. There is medication you can get to make the blistering and pain less severe, but once you get herpes, you'll have it forever. It can stay latent for a long time, though. In a few people, the sores never appear again after the first time, but this is rare. Medication can also make the sores go away faster, and make it so that you have them less times per year. Acyclovir is the name of one drug, and it is especially important for people who get herpes outbreaks a lot. There is also an amino acid you can buy at health food stores called "Lysine." If you take this everyday, it's supposed to prevent outbreaks. This hasn't been proved to be true, though.

If this is your first outbreak, you have roughly 48 hours to get some medication that could possibly 'cure' you. Your doctor will tell you that some medications can prevent herpes from ever coming back if the medicaiton is given early enough.

Contact your health provider as soon as you think you may have gotten an STD; the sooner you are treated, the better your chances of recovery, and it is less likely you will get complications. Also, have your partners checked out, and stop having sex until you get better. Otherwise, you and your partners could keep passing the disease back and forth to each other.

Complications: Some people experience fever, swollen glands, headaches (from a condition called "meningitis"), and backaches. This is if they have severe reactions to herpes. Sometimes there is pain so intense that a person can't even sleep. The pain can "shoot" down the legs or can be felt in nearby parts of the body. People who have very very weak immune systems (like people with AIDS), can have reactions this severe, where the blisters spread all over the body and outbreak may last for months.

If there are herpes lesions on the buttocks, shitting (defecating) can be really painful. You cannot have sex if you're having an outbreak because it's very painful. And you wouldn't want to risk passing the disease on to anybody else, anyway.

Herpes in women can be passed on to babies. This is a big problem because babies have weak immune systems. The herpes virus likes to infect cells of the nervous system, like the brain, and so babies who get it at birth often die. It's VERY important to get prenatal care if you're a pregnant woman with herpes. Also, if a pregnant woman has an outbreak near her cervix, the herpes virus can kill the fetus (the developing baby) while it is inside her.

It has also been found that if herpes is on a woman's cervix (at the end of the vagina), this puts her at higher risk of getting cancer there. But really doesn't happen as much as it does for warts. If cancer isn't watched closely and treated, it can kill.

Having an open sore makes it easier for secondary or opportunistic infections to happen. This is especially true for HIV, which can easily get into your body if your skin is broken. Also, if you have HIV and an open herpes sore, then you are more likely to transmit HIV to another person.

Nevervana, you said you were going to see another doctor (a dermatologists) to try to find out if you actually did catch herpes.

So, what is the verdict?

I really do hope that is something a little less permanent then herpes.


Dimone

Many mongers swear that Tagement (cimetidine) enhance and prolong the effects of Viagra, but... Who would have thought it helps shorten and reduce symtoms of herpes? Found the following information on the subject for anyone interested..
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Herpes simplex outbreaks have been shown to go into remission in response to the proper dose of cimetidine. In cases of herpes zoster (shingles), which targets the older population, cimetidine has been successfully used to lessen the debilitating pain and intensity of the skin rash and eruptions.

Published studies indicate that viruses like herpes simplex and herpes zoster can be put into quick remission, or the breakouts prevented altogether, when T-lymphocyte suppressor cell function is inhibited. The best way of accomplishing this is to take 200 mg of cimetidine (Tagamet) three times a day and then 400 mg a bedtime. Tagamet is available in pharmacies over-the-counter. Suggested use is to initiate Tagamet as soon as symptoms of a herpes-related virus infection appear. Continue to take it for one to two weeks after all symptoms of the outbreak have abated.

One precautionary note, even though Tagamet (cimetidine) is sold over-the-counter, refer to the package insert to make sure it does not interact with prescription drugs you may already be taking.

Please note that if your doctor prescribes generic cimetidine, it may cost less to obtain it as a prescription drug (especially if you have prescription drug insurance) rather than buying the Tagamet name brand that is available without a prescription.

Try buying it in TJ. Higher dose pills can be cut. Cheap.

To whom it may consern.

I love all types of herbs. I've heard St. Johns wart is one of the best anti viral agents that's sold over the counter for herpes. Remember, herpes burns it self out within 5 years for almost everybody. So taking a cemical like Tagament wouldn't be a life long comitment, but St. John's wart is a more wholistic approach.

FYI,
Westfargo...

Yeah, the HSV makes the super-antigen which our body reacts. Since tagamet is a type 2 Histamine-receptor blocker, I guess tagamet helps. I wonder if other histamine receptor blockers work. Though WF, unfortunately the HSV will be in your body until you die. It won't burn itself out.

Joker -

WF is only saying that symptoms and probable contagiousness tend to dissipate over time as the immune system learns to handle the virus. He isn't saying it leaves your body. Just like when you get Mono and you can't kiss someone for several months without giving it to them...

...eventually your immune system does suppress it to the point that you don't have to walk around at age 53 telling people you can't kiss them because you had Mono at age 16 :-) Mono is a virus that stays forever, but its not an issue anymore after awhile.

Some people see symptoms until they die. Some stop having recurrances for the rest of their life after a short time. It depends on the person.