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By Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer
Burning, itching, sores, redness. If you have these symptoms in the genitals, you might have genital herpes, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases.
What is genital herpes?
Herpes type 2 is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), commonly known as genital herpes. The virus is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
Classic herpes outbreaks include painful blisters or open sores in the genital area. Most outbreaks are not so obvious, though, and may only include itching or irritation in the genital area, discharge, pain with urination, or symptoms that might be confused with other problems. The herpes sores usually disappear within two to three weeks. The virus remains in the person's body forever, however, and outbreaks can recur.
What are the health risks of untreated genital herpes?
Genital herpes can be transmitted to a newborn during birth if the virus is active at the time. This can be fatal to the newborn. If a woman's doctor knows about the infection, a C-section may be recommended to protect the child.
People with genital herpes who are also immunosuppressed, (such as AIDS patients or people with organ transplants,) also can suffer serious infections. In addition, if you have genital herpes, it is much easier to transmit or acquire HIV infection.
Why isn't genital herpes identified better?
People don't think to examine their genital areas. Genital herpes is mistaken for other problems sometimes. Genital herpes can produce blisters that break down or cause pain when urinating. For this reason, genital herpes can be misdiagnosed in women as yeast or urinary tract infections.
The symptoms can be nonspecific, too. A doctor may need to do a culture or other test for herpes to diagnose it properly.
What are the symptoms of genital herpes?
Most who have antibodies for type 2 have symptoms at times. The classic symptom of genital herpes is a group of small, painful blisters in the genital area. More often, though, you will just notice irritation or itchiness, or a little discharge. Men might think it's just a knick in the skin. Terrible outbreaks are relatively rare. Many people with the disease do not know they have it.
The sores usually disappear in two or three weeks, but the virus stays in the body for life.
How often does someone with the disease have outbreaks?
After an outbreak, the virus tracks up to the sensory nerve and lodges in cells near the spine. When the symptoms come back, it means the virus has gone back down the sensory nerve to the genital area from the spine.
Some people never have another outbreak of genital herpes, and some have frequent episodes. In most recurrences, a trigger is not identified.
There is no cure but there are effective treatments to manage and even prevent outbreaks.
What treatments are available?
Warm baths may relieve the pain of genital lesions. Doctors recommend gentle cleansing with soap and water, too.
There are antiviral medications that are very effective for decreasing the pain and discomfort of genital herpes. These drugs are acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex). Their possible side effects include nausea and vomiting, rash, headache, fatigue, tremor, and very rarely, seizures.
Your doctor can give you an antiviral medication during an active herpes outbreak that will shorten your healing time by a day or two. Or, antiviral medications can be used in "suppressive" doses, which means that they are taken every day to suppress outbreaks. Used this way, outbreaks can be reduced by 80 to 90 percent although they do not eradicate the virus from the body.
For the most benefit, antiviral drugs should be started as soon as symptoms begin.
How can you prevent the disease from spreading to someone else?
Learning how to recognize an outbreak - and avoiding sex during the outbreak - is the best way to keep from infecting someone else. Plus, be aware that you can still be infected even if your partner doesn't have an open sore or other obvious sign of genital herpes.
When sexually active, using latex condoms will reduce the chance of spreading genital herpes, too. Keep in mind that you can get genital herpes through oral sex with someone who has cold sores as well.
Also, using an antiherpes medication, such as valacyclovir, can help prevent spreading the virus to others.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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