Genital Herpes - You Might Have It, But You Do Not Know (Yet)

As it is commonly known, genital herpes is a widespread disease infecting the genital area. Infection causes open sores that are highly contagious, infecting men as well as women. It is generally transmitted through sexual contact but could be contracted through other ways as well.

It can be contracted from touching contaminated items like towels, underwear and toilet seats. One can also get it through kissing and in rare cases through oral sex.

It can be transmitted like that because these particular types of viruses can survive outside their natural environments, even for whole minutes, so be careful what is it that you touch, try on, or when you use public restrooms!

Generally, people infected with the disease are not aware that they are infected because there are no symptoms to contend with. This makes it all the more risky because the infected person continues to do what they have been doing without protection, infecting more and more clueless healthy people. So year after year the number of infections grows geometrically as those infected just ignore the symptoms, if they show at all.

The virus could develop within three to seven days after exposure. The first attack of the infection could be grievous with extended incubation period; but then there could also be no apparent signs of the disease, depending on the general condition of the individual's immune system.

Manifestations of genital herpes appear in the genital area, which start with small red bumps that progress into watery blisters, then develop further into open sores. When scratched, the sores could burst open and secrete blood and pus. Before all these, the person will first feel a burning and itching sensation.

After two to four days, the grouped blisters break and they transform into painful ulcerations. These ulcerations ca extend and the pustules covered with crusts can cover big surfaces of the skin.

As we mentioned, this infection affects both women and men, no matter what type of sexual activity they develop. People who practice anal sex can get lesions at the anus level. Women however can experience a great amount of pain if the virus is located at the urethra level. Stinging and burning feelings will definitely bother the infected woman, and this condition shall need immediate treatment.

Headaches or cold, even fever, these are few of the symptoms, which can be produced by the exposure to this virus. The lesions caused by it can sometimes spread to the haunches. For treatment of the condition there are anti-viral medicines, which shorten the evolution and reduces the severity of the infection.

Regrettably, medical specialists have not found a cure for this disease so that it could be completely removed from the body and not stay there in its dormant state. The medicines can at best just control the virus.

Prolonged treatment successfully reduces the rate of recurrence of the infection of genital herpes and in clearing the sores caused by the infection. Continuous intake of the antiviral medication for at least fourteen days is normally prescribed, and if the sores still do not get completely healed, medication should be continued for seven days more.

It is incumbent on the infected person not to disregard the symptoms by immediately seeing a doctor. Then he has to do all that is necessary to stop spreading the infection to others.

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