Causes of lip herpes in pregnancy
The cause of lip herpes in pregnancy is a localized outbreak of the pathogen Herpes simplex virus type 1, with which about 90 percent of the population is infected anyway, but which usually rests in the nerve cells and causes no symptoms there. Only when the immune system is weakened can the herpes virus migrate along the nerve tracts to the skin, where it causes the typical blisters. It is suspected that the herpes viruses are activated during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes and a resulting weakening of the immune system and that lip herpes therefore also occurs in women who never suffer from it otherwise.
In some women the blisters also form more frequently during menstruation, which makes a connection to hormonal changes very likely. Herpes of the lips in the mother-to-be is not a possible cause of damage to the child during pregnancy. Only in the case of genital herpes caused by Herpes simplex type 2 is an infection at birth feared, as the child’s organism is not yet able to fight the virus and a threatening disease can develop. If lip herpes has healed by the end of pregnancy, there is no need to worry. However, if blisters still exist on the mother’s lips after the birth, infection should be avoided by wearing a mouth guard and regular hand disinfection.
What are the accompanying symptoms of cold sores during pregnancy?
The accompanying symptoms of lip herpes in pregnancy are no different from those of a herpes outbreak without pregnancy. Usually you will notice a tingling and itching sensation on the lips at the beginning, mainly on the lip edges. Only after a few hours do the grouped small blisters typical of cold sores form in the appropriate areas.
In addition, the skin becomes reddened. In most cases, the blisters cause pain as an accompanying symptom and can also cause itching. In the further course of the disease, the blisters burst open after a few days and dry out.
A crust is formed, which is removed again a little later. There are no specific accompanying symptoms of lip herpes in pregnancy. However, in particularly stressful phases of pregnancy, an outbreak often occurs or due to a cold infection of the mother, which leads to a weakened immune system of the body.
