Herpes: Signs and Symptoms

When you think of herpes, you usually think of itchy cold sores. However, they are not the only sign of the viral disease. Which symptoms already appear directly after the first infection with herpes and how an acute outbreak of herpes shows itself, you will learn in the following.

Herpes: symptoms of infection

The initial infection with herpes almost always goes unnoticed. If signs of illness do occur, the following symptoms are present:

  • General feeling of illness
  • High fever
  • Numerous painful blisters in and around the mouth, causing bad breath and, in the child, refusal to eat and drink
  • In the area of the jaw and neck, the lymph nodes are swollen

This complex of complaints in herpes first disease is also called oral thrush or technical language stomatitis aphthosa.

Recognize oral diseases – these pictures help!

Herpes encephalitis: brain inflammation caused by herpes.

In very young children or people with a weak immune system, the herpes virus can rarely spread to other areas of the body during such an initial infection, leading, for example, to extensive skin inflammation (herpes eczema) or life-threatening brain inflammation (herpes encephalitis).

Cold sores: symptoms of an acute outbreak.

The familiar symptoms of cold sores result from activation of the viruses in the body:

  • The first signs are a tingling and tight feeling or even a painful itching – usually on the lip, but herpes can also occur on the nose, eyes or genital area.
  • A short time later, usually after a few hours, the typical herpes blisters appear, usually in groups. They are initially filled with a clear (very contagious) liquid, which later becomes cloudy.
  • The vesicles later flow together, burst and dry out.
  • Yellowish crusting occurs. The crust heals within a few days.

After a good week, the herpes blisters usually heal.

Recognize signs and react

Even if affected people recognize the typical tingling and itching and immediately avoid possible triggers such as sun exposure, it is usually already too late to prevent an outbreak of herpes. Nevertheless, it is advisable to start treatment as early as possible to mitigate the course and accelerate healing.

Otherwise, untreated cold sores can last for a long time. The blisters can also spread to the mucous membrane of the mouth to the throat or face, for example to the chin and neck. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor. Helpful tips for the treatment of herpes are given below.