Herpes Symptoms

Primarily a viral disease, people suffer from herpes due to the presence of herpes simplex viruses. The most common form is genital herpes, which is a sexually transmitted disease. It is characterized by the presence of sores, itching and sharp pain in the genital area. This medical condition is easily transmitted through sexual contact. Patients of this severe disease experience emotional distress and embarrassment. Let’s take a closer look at the various minor and major herpes symptoms, together with the different diagnostic procedures as well as treatments.

Signs of Herpes

Just like all the other forms of sexually transmitted diseases, herpes can affect both men and women. Early signs of this venereal disease include itching and pain, which commonly affect the areas along the buttocks, inner thighs and genitals. Furthermore, it is also marked by the presence of ulcers, vesicles and red bumps in the anal and genital areas. The open sores usually bleed. In male patients, these sores appear at the thighs, scrotum and penis. On the opposite end, female patients develop sores at the cervix, external genitals as well as the vaginal area.

When suffering from these signs and symptoms, patients need to pay extra care and attention to these problems. A number of factors such as fatigue, surgery and illness can trigger outbreaks. Additional factors include immune system suppression, menstruation and stress.

Herpes Diagnosis

After experiencing these signs, it is good for patients to consult doctors early on. After the extensive physical examinations of patients, they can also take other important laboratory tests. As part of viral culture, tissue samples will be scraped from the sores to be analyzed later on. Meanwhile, they also need to undergo blood tests, which are quite helpful in identifying the presence of herpes simplex virus antibodies. On the other hand, polymerase chain reaction tests can be performed on patients, which are needed to establish the presence of herpes simplex virus and other complications.

Herpes Treatment

As of the moment, treatment for genital herpes has yet to be invented. However, the intake of special medications and other drugs can actually help improve the conditions of patients. For the management of this disease, physicians recommend the use of oral prescription antiviral medications. The most trusted drugs for this severe medical problem are acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir.

The intake of these special medications can heal sores faster, minimize the duration and severity of symptoms as well as lessen the recurrences. Furthermore, the transmission of herpes virus from one person to another is reduced significantly if the patients are taking any of these medications. Suppressive therapy and episodic therapy are quite helpful especially during the time of outbreaks.