infections
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections
Symptoms and Complications of HSV Infections
Tiny blisters appear on the following: Skin: Particularly around the mouth or on the genitals Mucous membranes: Including those lining the eyes, vagina, cervix, or inside of the mouth. The skin around the blisters is often red. Thefirst oral infectionwith HSV usually causes many painful sores inside the mouth (herpetic gingivostomatitis). Herpetic gingivostomatitis most commonly develops in children. People usually feel sick and have a fever, a headache, and body aches. The mouth sores last 10 to 19 days and are often very severe, making eating and drinking extremely uncomfortable. As a result, people may become dehydrated. Occasionally, no symptoms develop. Recurrencesusually produce a cluster of sores on the rim of the lip. The lip sore is called a cold sore or fever blister (so named because they are often triggered by colds or fevers). Other triggers include over-exposure to sun on the lips, anxiety, certain dental procedures, and any condition that reduces the body's resistance to infection. Before a cold sore appears, people usually feel a tingling at the site, lasting from minutes to a few hours, followed by redness and swelling. Usually, fluid-filled blisters form and break open, leaving sores. The sores quickly form a scab. After about 5 to 10 days, the scab falls off and the episode ends. Less often, tingling and redness occur without blister formation. Genital Herpes causes painful blisters in the genital and/or anal area. In women, internal blisters may develop in the vagina or on the cervix. Internal blisters are less painful and are not visible. The blisters develop 4 to 7 days after people are infected. The blisters go away but may come back (recur) because the virus never truly leaves the body. Blisters caused by a first genital infection are usually more painful, last longer, and are more widespread than those caused by a recurrent infection. In people with a weakened immune system, recurrences of oral or genital herpes can result in progressive, gradually enlarging sores that take weeks to heal. The infection may progress inside the body, moving into the esophagus, lungs, or colon. Ulcers in the esophagus cause pain during swallowing, and lung infection causes pneumonia with cough and shortness of breath. Sometimes HSV-1 or HSV-2 enters through a break in the skin of a finger, causing a swollen, painful, red fingertip ( Herpetic Whitlow ). Health care workers who are exposed to saliva or other body secretions (such as dentists) when not wearing gloves are most commonly affected. HSV-1 can infect the cornea of the eye. This infection (called Herpes Simplex Keratitis ) causes a painful sore, tearing, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. Over time, particularly without treatment, the cornea can become cloudy, causing a significant loss of vision. Infants or adults with a skin disorder called Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) can develop a potentially severe HSV infection in the area of skin that has the eczema (eczema herpeticum). Therefore, people with atopic eczema should avoid being near anyone with an active herpes infection. HSV can infect the brain. This infection (called Encephalitis ) begins with confusion, fever, and seizures and can be fatal. Infrequently, a pregnant woman can transmit HSV infection to her baby (called Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infection in Newborns ). Transmission usually occurs at birth, when the baby comes into contact with infected secretions in the birth canal. Rarely, HSV is transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy. Transmission during birth is more likely when The mother has recently acquired the herpes infection The mother has visible herpes sores in the vaginal area, although babies may become infected from mothers who have no apparent sores When acquired at birth, the infection appears between the first and fourth week of life. Newborns with HSV infection become very ill. They may have widespread disease, brain infection, or skin infection. Without treatment, about 85% of those with widespread disease and about half of those with a brain infection die. Even with treatment, many have brain damage. 