Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease(STD), caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus(HSV).

There are two types of HSV.
HSV type 1 usually infects the lips.
HSV type 2 is the usual cause of genital herpes.

Symptoms of Oral Herpes
Oral Herpes (herpes labialis) usually affects the lips and, in some primary attacks, the mucous membranes in the mouth. A herpes infection may occur on the cheeks or in the nose, but facial herpes is very uncommon.

*Blisters form on the lips but may also erupt on the tongue.

*The blisters eventually rupture as painful open sores, develop a yellowish membrane before healing, and disappear within 3-14 days.

*Increased salivation and foul breath may be present.

*Rarely , the infection may be accompanied by difficulty in swallowing, chills, muscle pain, or hearing loss.

The early oral herpes symptoms in men can be observed prior to the activation of cold sores.At this stage, one experiences an itchy sensation with a tingly feeling at the nerve points of the areas where the blisters are going to appear.It ma be accompanied by general symptoms like chills and fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue etc.


Symptoms of Genital Herpes in Men
Male herpes symptoms usually begin with an itching or tingling sensation in the genital location. Following this first warning sign, the infected area may become swollen, eventually producing red bumps on the penis, anus or buttocks. These red bumps will gradually turn to blisters, and then into more painful, open sores. The healing process begins once these open sores begin to scab over.

Other herpes symptoms in men can be burning during urination, swollen lymph nodes in the groin area, constipation, lack of energy, fever and headache.

Herpes male symptoms can begin anywhere from 3-7 days after contact with an infected person.

Symptoms of Genital Herpes in Women
Symptoms include:
* Ulcers
*Blisters
*Headaches
*Fever
*Muscular Pain
*Pain with urinating
*Anal Discharge
*Swollen and tender lymph glands
*A prickly sensation felt on the skin
*Burning and itching sensations around the rectum thigh and genital area
*Often accompanied by redness

Females with genital herpes may also experience vaginal discharge. Vaginal discharge is a clear, white or off white (pale yellow ) fluid secreted from the vagina or cervix.

Females with herpes may also develop blisters and ulcers within the walls of the vagina and around the cervix.


Symptoms of Eye Herpes (Ocular Herpes)
Ranging from a simple infection to a condition that can possibly cause blindness, there are several forms of eye herpes:

* Herpes keratitis is the most common form of eye herpes and is a viral corneal infection.Ocular herpes in this form generally affects only the top layer, or the epithelium, of the cornea, and usually heals without scarring.

* Stromal keratitis occurs when the infection goes deeper into the layers of the cornea. This can lead to scarring, loss of vision and occasionally, blindness. Stromal keratitis is thought to be caused by a late immune response to the original infection. Although the condition is rare, the NEI
  reports that Stromal keratitis is the leading cause of corneal scarring that subsequently causes blindness in the United States.

* Iridocyclitis is a serious form of eye herpes where the iris and surrounding tissue inside the eye become inflamed, causing severe sensitivity to light, blurred vision, pain and redness. Iridocyclitis is a type of uveitis that affects the more frontal portions of the inside of the eye.

When this infection occurs in the retina or the inside lining of the back of the eye,it is known as herpes retinitis.

Various signs and symptoms are associated with an ocular herpes outbreak. One may experience inflammation of the cornea, which can cause an irritation or sudden and severe ocular pain. Also, the cornea can become cloudy, leading to blurry vision.

Other characteristics of eye herpes include:
- Swelling around the eyes
- Tearing
- Recurrent eye infections
- Irritation
- Foreign body sensation
- Eye redness
- Eye sores
- Watery discharge
- Sensitivity to light

Symptoms of Herpes in Throat
Herpes in throat is a relatively rare condition.This disease can be caused by either of the two virus which are involved with herpes, depending on the source of infection. However, herpes in throat may also occur if the virus is transmitted by oral sex from infected genitals.

Symptoms include:
- There may be general symptoms like fever, malaise and headache.

- Cold sores in the form of small boils or blisters seen near the palate, close to the uvula. These may burst leading to painful scars along the palate.

This is one of the main symptoms of throat herpes.
- There may be difficulty in eating and swallowing.
- Burning sensation in the mouth.
- In certain severe cases, the patient may even complain of stiff neck or difficulty in breathing.


Symptoms of Herpes in Brain
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis or HSE results in general as well as focal cerebral dysfunction. The sporadic attack does not follow a seasonal pattern. The classic symptoms of HSE are:

- Fever
- Headache
- Behavioral changes like a show of confusion
- Seizure
- Vomiting
- Memory loss
- Alteration of consciousness
- Dysphasia
- Visual field loss
- Papilledema
- Anorexia
- Muscle weakness on one side of body
- Cranial nerve deficits
- Increased protein in cerebrospinal fluid and lymphocytes in blood
- Temporal lobe swelling

Herpes simplex itself is a common virus that routinely affects many people who will show symptoms such as cold sores on the lips, eyes and nose and it is the same virus, which in rare cases will progress to the brain from the nasal cavity and through the sinuses and take the form of herpes encephalitis.

The symptoms of herpes encephalitis may include a sore throat, headache, a runny nose, fever, vomiting and a stiff neck.These are the symptoms that the presence of the virus may present to begin with.

As it is the brain that is affected and inflamed by herpes encephalitis, many more serious symptoms manifest themselves as the disease progresses. The sufferer may experience changes in personality and hallucinations.Most individuals experience an altered mental state and confusion apart from experiencing changes in personality. As many as 71% display psychiatric symptoms.

The person may suffer from convulsions or seizures and there may even be paralysis resulting from the virus. The sufferer may even go into coma due to infection by this virus.

Focal weakness and memory loss is also observed in a large proportion of sufferers.

Visual field loss is also experienced by some.

Symptoms of Herpes in Children
Herpes can also be transmitted to a baby and cause neonatal herpes, either in utero or as the baby passes through the birth canal.

Children with a herpes infection most commonly have Gingivostomatitis, which is usually caused by HSV-1 and causes fever, irritability, pain,decreased appetite and ulcers in the mouth. The most common complication is dehydration secondary to a refusal to drink fluids because of mouth pain and difficulty in swallowing.

Other symptoms of herpes infections are cold sores or ulcers on the lips which recur frquently in some children.

Neonatal herpes is usually acquired from a mother with a primary infection  and active lesions during the delivery.

While neonatal herpes is usually from HSV-2, it is also possible to get an HSV-1 infection, either from a HSV-1 genital infection in the mother or from contact with cold sores or fever blisters.

Neonatal herpes infection can cause an infection just on the skin, eyes and mouth or it may spread to the central nervous system or become disseminated to other parts of the body.Herpes infection of the skin,eyes and mouth are the most easy to recognise, and usually begin in the first few weeks of life with a vesicular rash on an erythematous base, typicall on areas of skin trauma, such as the site of a scalp electrode. Central nervous system infections usually present in the second or third week of life with fever , irritability, focal or generalised seizures, and they sometime also have skin lesions. Disseminated herpes infections are usually more serious , but fortunately less common than the other types of neonatal infections, and typically occur in the first week of life, with symptoms including fever, difficulty in breathing, seizures, lethargy and irritability.

Symptoms of Herpes Zoster
Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles and also known as zona, is characterised by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe. The initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes the acute illness chickenpox which generally occurs in children and young people.

Varicella zoster virus can become latent in the nerve cell bodies and less frequently in non-neuronal satellite cells of dorsal root, cranial nerve or autonomic ganglion, without causing any symptoms. The virus may spread from one or more ganglia along nerves of an affected segment and infect the corresponding dermatome causing a painful rash.

Some sufferers experience residual nerve pain for months or years, a condition called postherpetic neuralgia.

Herpes zoster may have additional symptoms, depending on the dermatome involved. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus involves the orbit of the eye and occurs in approximately 10-25% of cases. It is caused by the virus reactivating in the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve.In a few patients,symptoms may include conjunctivitis, keratitis, uveitis and optic nerve palsies that can sometimes cause chronic ocular inflammation, loss of vision, and debilitating pain.

Herpes zoster oticus, also known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2, involves the ear. Symptoms include hearing loss and vertigo.

Submitted By Vanita Gupta


Disclaimer - As accurate as the author's research might be we strongly advise you to consult an expert before assuming that you suffer from this condition.