Duration of lip herpes
Lip herpes is a chronic recurrent disease. This means that the disease progresses in phases that occur with varying frequency over the course of a lifetime. These phases of the disease can be treated, but a final cure of the virus is not achieved.
The duration of the phases of the disease varies greatly and depends on the individual course of the herpes. The frequency of the disease episodes can also vary greatly. In the case of uncomplicated lip herpes, a phase of the disease usually lasts between seven and fourteen days until no more signs of the disease can be seen.
However, more complicated courses of the disease can also be accompanied by longer phases of several weeks. Furthermore, the treatment of lip herpes plays an important role in the duration of the disease. Early treatment can shorten the disease phase by a few days.
The symptomatic phases of lip herpes do not always proceed in the same way.The duration of the blister phase can also vary depending on the individual and the herpes episode. On average, the annoying blisters last between four and seven days until they burst and are no longer visible as blisters. However, treatment with an antiviral agent such as Aciclovir can shorten this phase.
The use of desiccating ointments, such as zinc ointment, also shortens the existence of vesicles. However, this does not mean that the infection is no longer present or active. The incubation period of a pathogen is the time between the penetration of the pathogen into the body and the appearance of the first symptoms.
The initial infection with a herpes virus often occurs in childhood and is asymptomatic. Often the virus is then reactivated years later. In this case, lip herpes breaks out.
People who are currently suffering from lip herpes can then transmit it to others. The incubation period of this infection is a few days. On average, it is about 3 to 10 days.
