What are the symptoms of herpes?

        What are the symptoms of herpes?

The most common symptom of herpes is sores on the genitals or mouth. However, most of the time there are no symptoms so many people do not know they have herpes.

 

Herpes may not have symptoms.

You or your partner may have no visible or noticeable symptoms of herpes, or the signs may be so mild that they go unnoticed. Sometimes herpes symptoms are mistaken for other conditions, such as pimples, ingrown hairs, or the flu.

Herpes symptoms come and go, but that doesn't mean the infection goes away or that you can't spread it to other people. Once contracted herpes, it remains in your body for life.

Symptoms of genital herpes

The most common symptom of genital herpes is a group of itchy or painful blisters on your vagina, vulva, cervix, penis, buttocks, anus, or the inner thighs. The blisters burst and turn into sores. You can also have these other symptoms:

Burning when urinating if the urine touches the herpes sores

Difficulty urinating because sores and swelling block the urethra

Itch

Pain in the genital area

If genital herpes is caused by HSV-2, you may also have flu-like symptoms, such as:

Swollen glands in the pelvic area, throat, and armpits

Fever

Shaking chills

Headache

Feeling of pain and tiredness

When blisters and other symptoms of genital herpes appear, it is called an outbreak. The first outbreak (also called "first episode" or "initial herpes") usually appears 2 to 20 days after contracting the infection, although sometimes the first outbreak takes years to appear.

The first herpes outbreak lasts between 2 and 4 weeks. Although the blisters disappear, the virus remains in the body and can cause sores again. Regrowths are very common, especially during the first year. You may notice some warning signs a few hours or days before the outbreak appears, such as itching, burning, or tingling in the genital area.

Herpes outbreaks are not a pleasant thing, but the first is the worst. Outbreaks are usually shorter and less painful. Most people with herpes have fewer outbreaks as time goes on, and some stop having outbreaks.

Herpes symptoms can be more painful and persistent in people who have a disease that affects their immune system, such as leukemia or HIV.

Symptoms of oral herpes

Oral herpes is generally less painful than genital herpes and does not cause as much discomfort. Oral herpes is characterized by the appearance of sores on the lips or around the mouth, called cold sores or fever blisters. Sores can also appear inside your mouth, but this usually only happens the first few times symptoms appear.

The sores last a few weeks and then go away on their own. They can reappear weeks, months, or years later. The sores are annoying, but they are usually harmless to both children and adults; however, they can be very dangerous for newborns.