How many people get cold sores

Fact: People can spread herpes to others at any time, including when they do not have any symptoms. People with herpes may experience outbreaks and remissions. During an outbreak, a person has active sores or blisters, but in remission, they may have no symptoms at all.

The virus is usually more contagious when a person has an outbreak, but it can also spread when it is in remission. Once a person has it, the infection is lifelong. The symptoms may come and go, but the virus will stay in the body. That said, a doctor may prescribe antiviral medications that can help control the severity and frequency of outbreaks.

Fact: Most of the time, herpes is mild. However, it can cause serious complications in some cases. Also, if an infant has exposure to herpes during delivery, they are at risk of neonatal herpes. This can cause brain damage or death. Research suggests that neonatal herpes affects 1 in 1, to 1 in 8, births. Both types of herpes are most contagious when a person has symptoms. However, herpes can still spread when no symptoms are present.

Genital herpes spreads through sexual contact. The likelihood of a person spreading it will depend on:. Using barrier method contraception reduces the risk of spreading herpes to a sexual partner, but it cannot prevent it completely.

This is also known as cold sores. HSV-1 can also cause genital blisters that appear very similar to the genital blisters associated with HSV-2 virus. The HSV-2 subtype of the herpes virus causes genital sores, as well as swollen lymph nodes, body aches, and fever. To make a diagnosis, a doctor or other healthcare provider would have to take a sample of fluid from a blister lesion or take a small sample of the skin lesion and send it to a lab for testing.

They each have different causes and two entirely different presentations. HSV-1 is spread through direct contact with the virus, which can be present in or around cold sores, in oral secretions like saliva , and in genital secretions like semen. So if a person who has HSV-1 performs oral sex on their partner, HSV-1 could be transmitted to their partner who could then develop genital sores.

HSV-2, on the other hand, is usually only transmitted through sexual contact. This includes genital-to-genital contact and contact with genital secretions such as semen.

When a person is exposed to the herpes virus, the virus travels through the body to nerve cells near the spinal cord known as a dorsal root ganglion. For others, the virus will express itself and activate periodically, causing sores. Sometimes, a person can identify the triggers that cause them to have a herpes outbreak. Other times, the triggers are seemingly random.

Genital herpes screening FAQ. These sores usually have a burning, tingling sensation. This will reduce the risk for transmission to your partner. For example, if you have a cold sore you should avoid kissing your partner or performing oral sex. If you have an active genital outbreak, you should avoid any below-the-belt activity until it clears.

Although the virus is less likely to spread when no symptoms are present, practicing sex with a condom or another barrier method, such as a dental dam , can help reduce the overall risk for transmission. Symptomatic treatment may include antiviral ointment, over-the-counter topical anesthetics or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents. Whether you call it a cold sore or a fever blister, oral herpes is a common infection of the mouth area that is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 HSV According to the National Institutes of Health, about 90 percent of adults have been exposed to the virus by age Once infected, a person will have herpes simplex virus for the rest of his or her life.

When inactive, the virus lies dormant in a group of nerve cells. While some people never develop any symptoms from the virus, others will have periodic outbreaks of infections. Oral herpesis spread most commonly from individuals with an active outbreak or sore. You can catch oral herpes by engaging in intimate or personal contact e. The initial primary infection of oral herpes is usually the worst.

It may cause severe, flu-like symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes and headache. Recurrence may be triggered by:. Cold sores on the lips can be embarrassing and tough to hide. But, turns out, you might not have a reason to be embarrassed. Now, a very small percentage of those people will actually develop cold sores. Pritish Tosh, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic, says, genetics determines whether a person will develop cold sores.

The problem is people can spread the herpes virus whether they develop cold sores or not. Herpes virus spreads through physical contact like kissing, sharing a toothbrush — even sharing a drinking glass — or through sexual contact. Almost everyone is at risk of cold sores. Most adults carry the virus that causes cold sores, even if they've never had symptoms. You're most at risk of complications from the virus if you have a weakened immune system from conditions and treatments such as:.

In some people, the virus that causes cold sores can cause problems in other areas of the body, including:. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication for you to take on a regular basis if you develop cold sores more than nine times a year or if you're at high risk of serious complications. If sunlight seems to trigger your recurrences, apply sunblock to the spot where the cold sore tends to erupt.

Or talk with your doctor about using an oral antiviral drug as a preventive if you expect to be doing an activity that tends to trigger your condition, such as intense sunlight exposure. To help avoid spreading cold sores to other people or to other parts of your body, you might try some of the following precautions:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

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