Herpes simplex virus (HSV) attacks nerve cells near the skin’s surface, causing outbreaks of painful blisters on the skin. There are two types of the disease, HSV-1 and HSV-2, which have different preferred attack areas. Many infected people show no signs or symptoms.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a virus that enters the body through the mucous membranes, usually located around the mouth or in the genital area. Once HSV is inside the body, it attacks nerve cells near the skin’s surface. These attacks may, or may not, cause outbreaks of painful blisters on the skin.
There are two different types of the disease, called HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. The two diseases are very similar in their DNA. What makes the two different is their preferred attack area. Type 1 generally lodges in the nerve cells near the ear causing outbreaks around the mouth. Type 2 generally settles in an area at the base of the spine with foci occurring on the genitals or rectum.
HSV-1 infections are often asymptomatic; however, a variety of symptoms can appear in or around the mouth. Lesions may appear and cause severe pain inside the mouth. Lesions that appear outside the mouth around the lips are usually referred to as cold sores.
An infected person may not be aware that they have the virus. If their immune system is strong enough to fight off the viral infection, they will have no symptoms and may not get blisters. Someone infected with Type 1 is still contagious and can easily transmit this virus through kissing.
Aside from the mouth, HSV-1 can appear through the skin and eyes. Areas of skin that may be damaged or weakened by eczema or other skin disorders are more susceptible to an outbreak. Eye infection is extremely rare, but possible. The eye can become infected after being rubbed with the hands once they have touched another infected area. It can occur in just one eye or both, and the outbreak is extremely painful, involving blisters on the eyelid with swelling and tearing of the skin.
HSV-2 is the strain of herpes that attacks the genital area of both men and women. Symptoms of infection may include numbness or tingling in the legs or genitals, tender lymph nodes in the groin area, or small painful blisters. Women tend to have more painful outbreaks than men, and painful blisters appear in the vaginal and vulvar areas, as well as the rectum. Men experience outbreaks on the tip or shaft of the penis and in the rectal area. Type 2 is extremely contagious and can be passed from person to person through oral, vaginal and anal intercourse.
Once the body is infected with type 1 or 2, outbreaks can occur at any time. Many things can encourage an outbreak such as fever, stress or hormonal changes in the body. Medical science isn’t sure why this happens, but epidemics tend to occur less over time. It has also been found that two-thirds of people infected with the herpes simplex virus are unaware they have the virus because they show no signs or symptoms.
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