Although it is not a terminal disease, herpes is a lifetime disease. Once it attacks you it brings great discomfort and pain to your body. Moreover, the pain intensifies as the fever blister worsens before complete healing. It is therefore important to know the symptoms of herpes so that you keep check for an outbreak and begin your medication in time.
When you are exposed to the virus, it takes about two or three weeks for the visible signs to show up. The following are the most common signs to look forward to:
- Tingling feeling of the skin
It forms one of the sure initial symptoms you will feel. The tingling is usually felt on the infected part. That could be the in the genitals, rectal areas, mouth region, buttocks, or gums. In addition the feeling could also be felt in the cervix, urethra or thighs. The sensation will vary from person to person. It could begin as a mild feeling that is easy to disregard
- Itching of the skin
In addition to the tingling sensation, the victim will also feel itching or burning on the skin. Usually the itchiness is so tempting that it’s almost impossible to defy the urge to resist scratching the infected part. When you experience such a feeling be sure a herpes outbreak is on the way.
- Small red bumps
The tingling and the itchiness then lead to the development of small red bumps. The bumps will develop on the previously itchy areas like mouth, penis or vaginal area, anus and buttocks. If it’s the first time to see the genital herpes symptoms, it’s easy to mistake the red sore to pimples or other ordinary swellings on the skin.
- Flu-like signs and swollen lymph nodes
The itchy skin will usually be accompanied by the flu-like symptoms and the swelling of the lymph, particularly in the neck or groin region. The symptoms, for instance, include a headache and fever. Other flu symptoms like muscle pain and aches will also show up. The flu-like symptoms will precede the flaring up of the infection. For that reason, it could be very easy to mistake the feeling of just an ordinary flu attack
- Painful blisters
The small and red bumps then turn into fluid-filled blisters. Depending on the herpes simplex virus that infects you, the blisters could appear on the genitals, rectum or mouth region. The fluid-filled cluster of blisters finally burst and oozes fluids. The open blister will resemble ulcer.
- Lesions
The bursting of the blisters leads to lesions development. The ulcerated wound at this time is wet and extremely painful to touch. Moreover, the open wounds will give forth red bloody liquid. The oozing will continue until the wound dries up, crusts and heals properly. But even as it heals the itchiness still persist.
- Pain when passing urine
At times the blisters may develop ion the urethra or labia. When that happens, the passing of the urine then become very painful. That is especially so when the sores have burst and thus become open. When the urine gets into contact with the ulcerated wounds, the victim experiences immense pain, a sure sign of herpes genital infection. Women will experience a vaginal discharge too.
- Increased salivation
The blisters could develop in the mouth, gums or even throat. When the blisters in such places burst, the saliva glands will then be forced to increase the lubrication thus leading to the production of more saliva. In addition, the bursting of painful sores in the lips throat or gum produces a foul smell. Furthermore, it causes difficulty when either eating or swallowing food.
Usually, the symptoms of herpes are concentrated in the mouth and genital region. Without any medication, the healing period is protracted. That heightens the chances of passing over the virus to a second party. It is therefore advisable to see your doctor if you experience the above signs. It’s only early medication and treatment that will shorten the frequency and severity of the infection.
