What is the best way to prevent lip herpes?
There are various recommendations for the prevention of lip herpes, but they are very controversial. Over 85% of adults are already infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1. This is the most common cause of cold sore.
The infection occurs in early childhood in the family environment and then remains symptom-free for a long time. A person who is already infected with the virus therefore does not necessarily have to avoid contact with people who are currently suffering from symptomatic lip herpes. The probability of already being infected is very high.
Even in the case of contact with infectious secretion, there is no need to fear anything. Contact should only be avoided with children and babies, as they can still get infected. Nevertheless, even as an adult you can of course avoid contact with people who have symptomatic lip herpes if it makes you feel better. If you have already experienced lip herpes once, you should avoid triggering factors such as stress or strong sunlight. Against the latter, you can use caring lipsticks that contain UV protection.
Lip herpes – can it be an indication of HIV?
A cold sore is found in many people. Most people are infected with the herpes virus that causes cold sores. Whether or not lip herpes breaks out depends on several factors.
An infection with the HI virus, or HIV, leads to an impairment of the immune system. Nowadays, most people in Germany who are infected with HIV are treated with modern medication. Lip herpes can of course also occur with HIV, but it is not a sign of HIV infection. In the case of an HIV infection, there is a risk of very severe courses of lip herpes. Often other areas of the skin are affected and the course of the disease can last for months.
Miscellaneous for lip herpes
About 80 to 90 percent of all people are latently infected with the herpes virus, and antibodies can be detected in their blood. But not all of these people have had an outbreak of lip herpes with blisters. Only about 40 percent of latently infected people have already had an outbreak of the disease.
In 10 to 20 percent of those infected, there are repeated, recurring outbreaks of lip herpes. On the basis of these figures, it can therefore be concluded that an infection with the herpes virus does not lead to an actual outbreak of the disease in all cases (but rather in the fewest cases).However, since the number of people infected with herpes (the so-called transmission rate) is enormously high, many pregnant women worry about whether the virus can become dangerous for their unborn child. This question can generally be answered with “no”, because the herpes viruses are not able to penetrate the placenta and infect the unborn child. An exception are those herpes viruses which cause a so-called genital herpes.
