Herpes disease: causes, types, symptoms, and how to treat

Definition

What is herpes?

Herpes is a contagious disease caused by infection with the herpes virus. This disease is more commonly known as skin herpes because the symptoms are characterized by an itchy sore or blister on the skin.

However, there are actually eight types of herpes viruses that can cause disease, namely:

• Herpes simplex type I (HSV-1): known as oral herpes which can cause sores and blisters around the lips and face.
• Herpes simplex type II (HSV-2): belongs to the genital herpes (genital) and usually appears on the external genitals and the area around the anus.
• Varicella zoster (VZV): the cause of chicken pox and shingles (shingles) which affects people who have had chickenpox.
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV): attacking the T lymphocytes in the body, causing mononucleosis or glandular fever.
• Cytomegalovirus (HHV 5), HHV 6, HHV 7: the viral infection can last a long time and endanger people with weak immunity, such as people with HIV or who have had organ transplants.
• Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (HHV 8): viral infection triggers the growth of cancer cells around the blood vessels and lymphatics, also known as Kaposi's sarcoma.

How common is this disease?

Reporting from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation, skin herpes is a very common disease. Anyone can be infected with the herpes virus. An estimated 50% of people who contract it from contact with other infected people.

Adults who are sexually active often contract genital herpes. In addition, people who have weak immune conditions are also at higher risk of contracting the herpes virus.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of herpes?

Herpes disease that attacks the skin is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV 1 and HSV2) and varicella zoster or herpes zoster.

There are several differences in symptoms between herpes zoster and herpes simplex, especially on the affected part of the body.

The following are signs and symptoms of skin herpes that are usually shown:

• The rash is accompanied by lumpy clusters on one side of the body
• Rash begins with red bumps (resilient)
• Watery resilience and turns into a dry crust (looks spread or clustered on several parts of the body such as hands, feet, and body)
• Pain, itching, and tingling in the elastic
• Fever
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Sensitive to light

Herpes simplex

Herpes simplex virus infection will cause disorders of the genital skin and around the lips, sometimes it can also attack the eyes (eye herpes).

However, the early onset of the disease is often asymptomatic. Symptoms of herpes simplex may not appear after months to years of infection.

People affected by this disease will experience symptoms that keep recurring over and over again. The following are various symptoms of genital and oral herpes that can appear:

• Blisters and sores on the external genitals
• Red blisters filled with water around the mouth, anus, or genitals
• Leucorrhoea
• Pain and itching on the blisters
• Unwell
• Fever
• Pain when urinating
• Swollen lymph nodes
  
• Burning or tingling sensation around the genitals before the water-filled blisters reappear
• The presence of abrasions and wounds on the cervix
• The blisters around the mouth that are filled with fluid and are reddish in color

When to go to the doctor

You need to consult a doctor immediately when you see various symptoms that indicate herpes disease. The doctor will immediately take the best treatment to prevent the severity of the condition.

If you have sexual relations with someone who is known to have herpes, get checked out immediately to confirm your health condition.

In addition, for those of you who have had chickenpox, the possibility of the virus being active again will still be there. Therefore, consult immediately when the symptoms of skin herpes begin to appear.

Causes and Transmission

What causes herpes?

The cause of herpes skin disease is infection with the varicella zoster virus, which is a virus that causes chickenpox and shingles as well as the herpes simplex virus.

The varicella zoster virus can usually live in the nervous system for years. In some people, the virus will stay asleep, but in others the infection can be reactivated, causing shingles shingles.

Varicella zoster virus re-infection is more likely to occur, especially when experiencing a disease or undergoing treatment that weakens the immune system.

The varicella zoster virus can be transmitted by direct contact, droplets, or air. While the herpes simplex virus can be transmitted by:

• Having unprotected vaginal or anal sex
• Having oral sex with a person who has sores and a rash around their mouth
• Alternate use of sex toys
• Kissing someone who has a rash around their mouth
• By birth if a mother with genital herpes has sores during childbirth

Risk factors

What puts me at risk for this disease?

Anyone who has had chickenpox can get the heroes disease. However, there are various other factors that increase the risk.

The following are various factors that increase a person's risk for this disease:

• Over 50 years of age
• Having certain diseases that weaken the immune system such as HIV / AIDS and cancer
• Are undergoing cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy which can reduce the body's immunity to disease
• Take medications designed to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ, for example, prolonged use of steroids such as prednisone

Herpes simplex

Everyone is at risk of contracting this disease virus, from children to adults. However, for those who attack the genitals it is usually easier to infect sexually active people without practicing safe sex.

Various factors increase the risk of this one disease:

• Are female
• Have more than one sex partner
• Having sex at a very young age
• Have a weak immune system
• Have another venereal disease

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose this disease?

Herpes simplex disease often causes quite characteristic symptoms. Therefore, many doctors are usually able to diagnose this disease only from looking at the symptoms.

As for shingles, the doctor will diagnose it by looking at a history of pain on one side of your body. The doctor will also see if there are rashes and blisters that appear on the affected area.

However, to ensure the type of herpes disease you are experiencing, doctors can also perform additional tests by taking tissue samples or blisters to be examined in the laboratory.

Treatment

What are the treatment options for herpes?

In dealing with herpes, doctors will usually prescribe antivirals. These antiviral drugs are used to help reduce the severity of symptoms, shorten the recurrence period of the infection, and reduce the risk of passing the virus to other people.

Usually, herpes drugs are given in pill form as well as ointments. However, for severe cases the doctor will give it by injection.

The following are various herpes drugs that are usually prescribed:

• Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famiciclovir help reduce pain and speed healing. Consumed 2 to 5 times a day according to a doctor's prescription
• Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to reduce pain and swelling. Consumed every 6 to 8 hours
• Narcotics and analgesics to reduce pain, usually taken twice a day or according to a doctor's prescription
• Anticonvulsants or tricyclic antidepressants to treat prolonged pain, usually 1 or 2 times a day
• Antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to treat itching, are usually taken every eight hours
• Numbing creams, gels, or patches such as lidocaine for pain management, usually applied when needed
• Capsaicin (Zostrix), which helps reduce the risk of nerve pain called post-herpetic neuralgia that occurs after you recover from shingles

Therapy for treating herpes

Antiviral drugs are prescribed for patients who have had the first episode of herpes simplex disease. For recurrent episodes, doctors will usually recommend episodic therapy and suppressive therapy that also uses antiviral drugs.

Episodic therapy is usually recommended if you have recurrences of the condition six times within a year. This therapy helps shorten the symptoms of skin herpes, which usually occur over a long period of time.

Meanwhile, suppressive therapy is used for people who experience recurrence of the condition more than six times a year. This therapy can reduce symptoms of skin herpes by at least 75 percent when you are taking antiviral medications.

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies for treating herpes?

Apart from doctor's care, home remedies and lifestyle changes can be done to help treat this disease.

Combining medical and home remedies can help speed healing and relieve symptoms.

Here are various home remedies and natural remedies for skin herpes:

• Bathing in salt water to help relieve symptoms.
• Soak in a bathtub filled with warm water.
• Petroleum jelly be a natural remedy that can be used by applying it to the infected area.
• Wear loose clothing and avoid tight, especially over infected areas.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, especially after touching an infected area.
• Abstain from sexual, oral, and anal sexual activity until the symptoms disappear.
• Compress the infected area using ice wrapped in a towel.
• Get enough rest to restore the strength of the immune system.
• Compress the rash or blister with cold water to reduce pain and itching.
• Using calamine lotion to reduce itching.

Prevention

How can you prevent herpes?

The chickenpox vaccine helps prevent you from developing severe symptoms and complications. For that, all children need to immunize varicella. Likewise, adults who have never had chickenpox need to do this one vaccine.

Meanwhile, parents who enter the age of 50 years need to do the shingles vaccine, known as varicella zoster immunization. This vaccine will later help prevent the severity of the symptoms and complications caused by shingles.

Not only vaccines, you also need to prevent the spread of infection by:

• Avoid contact with people who have never had chickenpox and have a weakened immune system
• Wash your hands frequently with soap
• Maintain the immune system in order to stay good by adopting a healthy lifestyle, namely eating nutritionally, getting enough rest, reducing stress and exercising regularly

Meanwhile, there is no cure for herpes simplex. Therefore, the best way to avoid infection is to take various precautions such as:

• Avoid direct physical contact with infected people
• Avoiding oral, vaginal, and anal sex while infected
• Avoid kissing people who have an infection in the mouth
• Not changing sexual partners
• Practicing safe sex using a condom

Taking these steps consistently helps prevent you from the risks and complications of severe disease.

If you have questions, consult a doctor to get more clear information about the disease you have.