Oral herpes is a common infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, with symptoms including lip sores and blisters in the mouth. The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted through kissing or sharing objects that come into contact with the mouth. The infection progresses through three stages, including a primary infection, latency, and relapse.
Oral herpes is an infection of the mouth caused by a virus called herpes simplex. Symptoms appear in the form of lip sores, often colloquially called cold sores and, in some cases, sores on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. These mouth ulcers are usually fluid-filled blisters that eventually burst.
The herpes virus is extremely common; medical professionals say that the percentage of people who have experienced some form of herpes infection by the time they reach adulthood is close to 100%. In fact, there are two different types of herpes simplex virus (HSV), called HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. HSV-1 is by far the more common of the two viruses, but they are very similar, causing the same symptoms in the infected person. Both types of viruses can also cause the related infection, genital herpes.
In addition to the main symptoms of lip sores and oral blisters, additional symptoms sometimes occur during an oral herpes infection. These symptoms can include swollen gums, fever, headache and dehydration. Young children are particularly prone to these unpleasant symptoms and often experience severe pain in their mouth, which can make eating difficult.
Oral herpes is very contagious. It can be passed on by kissing another skin contact or by sharing objects that come into contact with the mouth, such as a toothbrush or lipstick. Also, the virus can be transmitted from the mouth to the genitals, or vice versa, during oral sex.
When a person becomes infected with oral herpes, the virus normally progresses through three distinct stages. The first time a person becomes infected, the viruses penetrate the membranes of the mouth and begin to reproduce. This is called a primary infection and can be accompanied by sores and other symptoms. Alternatively, it can occur without any symptoms, in which case it is referred to as an asymptomatic infection.
In the second stage of the infection, the virus migrates from the mouth to the nerve tissue in the spine. Here, the virus continues to reproduce for a period and then becomes inactive. This stage of infection is called latency, and the infected person will usually continue to harbor the virus permanently.
Herpes sores appear from time to time. This usually happens when the infected person becomes stressed, physically or mentally. This stage is called relapse and is likely to occur repeatedly, as the virus alternates between latency and activity.
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