What are the Signs and Symptoms of Herpes?
At the onset of infection of the herpes virus, most signs and symptoms may not appear. When they do appear, they could include any of these:
- A feeling of tingling, itching, or burning, lasting just a day in most common cases. The blisters appear just after on the skin.
- Presence of sores. These sores are painful and caused by the blisters, which break open and ooze fluid. Crusts appear on the surface of these sores before healing commences. The first sores appear between 2 and 20 days after contracting the disease from a person infected with the virus. Sores usually can last from 7 to 10 days before they heal. These sores appear in various areas of the body, usually depending on the type of herpes:
- Oral herpes (HSV-1): According to the name, blisters usually will appear on the lips or around the mouth. For some people, these blisters also can form on other areas of the face, and even the tongue. Other than these usual places, sores in oral herpes can appear on any part of the skin.
- Genital herpes (HSV-2): with this type of herpes, sores are common on the penis, vagina, buttocks, or anus. Some women find they have sores inside their vagina also. Like oral herpes, these sores are not restricted to the areas we have mentioned, but they can appear on any skin surface.