Friday, March 15, 2024

How Long Can The Herpes Virus Stay Dormant

Reactivation And Recurrent Outbreaks

It Might Be Good to Have Herpes | Trained Immunity
  • Extreme temperatures
  • Menstrual periods

The virus then travels to the skin and can cause another, often milder, outbreak. However, reactivation may not cause any symptoms.

Before an outbreak, some people experience prodrome. This is characterized by tingling, itching, or pain in the affected areas before the lesions appear.

More Questions From Patients:

Many people with genital herpes have no symptoms, or have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed.

The first time genital herpes symptoms appear is called the first episode or initial herpes. Initial herpes symptoms are usually more noticeable than later outbreaks.

Symptoms of genital herpes in men may include

  • burning when you pee if you have sores

  • trouble peeing if you have sores covering your urethra

  • itching or pain around your genitals

During initial herpes, symptoms may also include

  • swollen, tender glands in the pelvic area, throat, or under the arms

  • and, often with the first infection, a fever and general feeling of illness.

  • The virus sometimes infects other parts of the body, including the eyes and brain.

  • Usually, doctors easily recognize the sores caused by herpes, but sometimes analysis of material from a sore or blood tests are necessary.

  • HSV-1, which is the usual cause of cold sores on the lips and sores on the cornea of the eye and is caused by herpes simplex virus. Eye pain, tearing, redness, a feeling read more )

HSV is very contagious and can be spread by direct contact with sores and sometimes by contact with the mouth or genitals of people who have HSV infection even when no sores are can be seen.

How Is It Treated

Genital herpes can be treated, but it cannot be cured.Anti-viral medicines can make outbreaks:

Living with genital herpes causes some people to:

  • Feel embarrassed or ashamed
  • Worry about infecting a sexual partner
  • Worry that having herpes will affect relationships with sexual partners
  • Avoid dating or sexual relationships

Most people with herpes are able to live with the virusand manage their outbreaks. Talking to trusted healthcare providers and friends can help. Your health careprovider can talk to you about medicines that treatoutbreaks and about ways to reduce the chance ofpassing the virus on to a sexual partner.

Medicines can help lower the chance that you will pass the virus to others.

Read Also: How To Cure Genital Herpes At Home

What Does Genital Herpes Look Like

While some people with genital herpes will never have any symptoms, other people can develop symptoms within a few weeks of being infected.

Often, before the lesions appear, patients describe a prodrome, characterized by a tingling or burning sensation in the area where the lesions will develop that can be noticed during urination, along with itching or discomfort in the genital area.

You can also have the following symptoms:

  • Blisters on the mouth or lips
  • Fever, headache or pain in the joints
  • Trouble urinating

The symptoms of genital herpes often go away and come back as recurring outbreaks. For most people, the first outbreak is the worst, and can last from two to three weeks. Future flare-ups are often less severe and do not last as long. Still, some people shed the virus regularly. The following triggers can make outbreaks more likely to occur:

Recurrent genital herpes is most common in the first year after the initial infection and decreases as time goes on.

In many cases, anti-herpes medicine can help patients. When a person experiences a prodrome and suspects a recurrence is going to happen, they begin taking anti-herpes medications that lessen symptoms and shorten the time of the outbreak.

Show/hide Words To Know

I think I may have contracted herpes from my husband of 7.5

CRE Recombinase: a special protein that can delete a gene or flip it in a specific way.

Gene silencing: switching off the function of a gene.

Herpes Simplex Virus: a virus that affects humans and causes blistering of the skin. Oral herpes and chickenpox are herpes viruses. Herpes simplex virus comes in two varieties: Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2. Herpes Simplex Virus 1 causes cold sores. Herpes Simplex Virus 2 causes sores on the genitals….more

Latent: hidden, concealed, or lying in wait until conditions are better. A latent infection is one where a virus is not actively replicating but is instead sleeping until a better time to replicate.

Lytic: causing lysis, or rupturing of the cell wall, which leads to cell death.

Lytic Infection: a specific type of replication where a virus actively replicates and then leaves the infected cell through the cell membrane.

Replicate: to make a copy or to reproduce.

Vaccine: a substance that provides immune memory using antigens, or dead or weak viruses or bacteria, instead of from an infection.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Genital Herpes

Most individuals infected with HSV are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed or are mistaken for another skin condition. 9 When symptoms do occur, herpes lesions typically appear as one or more vesicles, or small blisters, on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth. The average incubation period for an initial herpes infection is 4 days after exposure. 10 The vesicles break and leave painful ulcers that may take two to four weeks to heal after the initial herpes infection. 5,10 Experiencing these symptoms is referred to as having a first herpes outbreak or episode.

There Are 2 Herpes Simplex Viruses That Can Cause Infection

  • One causes most genital herpes.
  • The other virus can also cause genital herpes but more often causes blisters of the mouth and lips.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that about 1 out of 6 people ages 14 to 49have genital herpes.

Women are more easily infected with herpes than men.

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How Does Herpes Simplex Spread

Herpes spreads through close contact with a person who has the infection. The virus can be found in skin and saliva. If you have herpes simplex, you are most likely to pass the virus to another person when you have sores. But you can infect someone else even if you have no symptoms. Healthcare providers call this asymptomatic viral shedding.

People may get HSV-1 through

  • Touching a persons skin near the mouth.
  • Sharing food utensils, lip balm or razors.
  • If you receive oral sex from someone who has a cold sore, it may spread a herpes infection to your genitals.

People may get HSV-2 through

  • Oral sex with someone whos infected.
  • Skin-to-skin contact without ejaculation.
  • Touching open sores, including while breastfeeding.
  • Childbirth by a mother or gestational parent who has an active infection.

You cant get genital herpes from objects like toilet seats. But you could pass genital herpes through shared sex toys.

How Long Can Herpes Go Undetected

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Once youve contracted HSV, there will be an incubation period the time it takes from contracting the virus until the first symptom appears.

The incubation period for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is the same: 2 to 12 days. For most people, the symptoms begin to show up in about 3 to 6 days.

However, according to the

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How Long Before The First Outbreak

If someone has contracted HSV but not yet experienced a herpes outbreak, truthfully theres no 100% accurate way to determine when one will occur. An outbreak can occur within a week of exposure, or years later.

First, consider that everyones body is different, as is their immune system. If a person has a strong immune system, then it can be possible for an outbreak to occur years after contracting the virus.

Whats more, some strains of HSV are more forceful and aggravating than others.

There is what is considered typical, and that is that people often have their first outbreak two weeks after contracting it. But this just isnt reliable, because its equally accepted that people can often have outbreaks after two years.

Thats why so many people will have trouble pinpointing when they got herpes at all. There are varied statistics and possibilities:

  • People who already had HSV-1 when they contract HSV-2 may be less likely to show symptoms right away.
  • Many people are asymptomatic carriers, which seems to be true more often with men, having no symptoms whatsoever but able to pass it on for decades.
  • Particularly for women, the first outbreak is usually the most severe and recurrences may be more common.
  • HSV-1 can be passed from the mouth to the genitals, and the outbreaks may be milder than those caused by HSV-2.
  • Some strains of the virus are less persistent than others.
  • 88% of people who have it dont realize they do.
  • Stress is a common trigger for an outbreak.

    How Can I Best Learn To Cope With Herpes Simplex

    Some people feel distressed or embarrassed about their herpes simplex infection. Its important to understand that the herpes virus is common. For most people, herpes doesnt significantly interfere with daily life.

    To cope with negative feelings, you may consider:

    • Connecting with others through support groups or online forums.
    • Sharing your feelings with a trusted friend or loved one.
    • Speaking with a therapist.

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    How Do People Get Genital Herpes

    Infections are transmitted through contact with HSV in herpes lesions, mucosal surfaces, genital secretions, or oral secretions. 5 HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be shed from normal-appearing oral or genital mucosa or skin. 7,8 Generally, a person can only get HSV-2 infection during genital contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. However, receiving oral sex from a person with an oral HSV-1 infection can result in getting a genital HSV-1 infection. 4 Transmission commonly occurs from contact with an infected partner who does not have visible lesions and who may not know that he or she is infected. 7 In persons with asymptomatic HSV-2 infections, genital HSV shedding occurs on 10.2% of days, compared to 20.1% of days among those with symptomatic infections. 8

    How Long Do Sores From Herpes Simplex Last

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    If youre infected with HSV-1, commonly known as oral herpes, you may notice tingling or burning around your mouth in the days before a cold sore appears. These blisters break open and ooze fluid before forming a crust. Usually, sores last for seven to 10 days.

    If youre infected with HSV-2, commonly known as genital herpes, your first outbreak may last between two to four weeks. Recurrent outbreaks usually last between three to seven days.

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    When To See A Healthcare Provider

    If you’ve been diagnosed with herpes, there are some circumstances where you may benefit from medical care. These may include having:

    • An outbreak that isn’t helped by treatment and self-care strategies

    Self-care strategies during outbreaks can help with pain and discomfort, including:

    • Keeping the affected area clean and dry
    • Using over-the-counter pain relievers
    • Place cold compresses over affected areas

    For at-home care for cold sores specifically:

    • Apply non-prescription antiviral ointment
    • Avoid eating spicy, acidic, or salty foods
    • Use petroleum jelly to keep surrounding skin moisturized

    When Can You Get Tested For Herpes

    If you run to the clinic the day after a possible transmission event, your results might not be legit. Herpes antibodies wont show up until youre out of the incubation period . But you dont have to wait to be tested if you already have symptoms.

    If youre worried you came in contact with HSV, here are some tips:

    • Stop all sexual activity until you know for sure you dont have herpes.
    • Schedule an appointment with your doctor or a clinic once the incubation period is over.
    • Remember, everything is going to be OK . Even if you have herpes, its nothing to be ashamed of.

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    What You Need To Know

    • Herpes simplex virus , also known as genital herpes, is most likely to be spread when an infected person is having an outbreak, but it can also be transmitted without any symptoms being present.
    • Medications can help reduce your symptoms, speed up the healing of an outbreak and make you less contagious.
    • If you know you have genital herpes before becoming pregnant, your physician will monitor your condition throughout your pregnancy. If you have an active outbreak at the time of delivery, cesarean section may be recommended.

    Lytic Latent And Sensory Neurons

    Herpes (oral & genital) – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology

    As HSV enters and infects a skin cell, the virus makes its way to the nucleus and begins to replicate. The virus makes thousands of copies of itself, which makes the cell get sick and die. HSV doesnt mind because its copies have already gone off to infect other cells. This form of infection is called a lytic infection.

    Neurons in action, sending signals from one end of the cell to the other. Some viruses go to “sleep” when they enter a neuron. GIF by Dr. Jana.

    When HSV replicates in skin cells, it eventually heads toward a sensory nerve. When it reaches the neurons nucleus, it does not go through the same lytic infection cycle. Instead of replicating, it does something unusual – the virus goes dormant. This is called a latent infection. We do not fully understand why HSV goes latent in neurons, but we need to understand latency if we want to create a vaccine for this virus.

    When HSV goes latent, it hides from the immune system. In these cases, traditional vaccines have not been good at stopping HSV infection. But, rather than figuring out a way to get the vaccines to work, scientists have a different idea. They are interested in developing a method to keep HSV latent, so the virus never reactivates. This is why it is important to understand HSV latency.

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    Meanwhile Virus Proteins Are Transcribed Perfectly

    Another interesting discovery is that although the host DNA is transcribed into nonsense, it transcribes the viral DNA perfectly throughout infection.

    Thus, HSV-1 produces two results that are to its advantage. The effect of producing nonsense from the host cell DNA causes the cell to shut itself off preventing the immune system from attacking the virus. And this in turn helps increase the production of viral proteins and the production of new virus particles.

    The researchers note that their discovery may explain why so many previous studies have suggested HSV-1 activates large numbers of genes that normal host transcription would overlook. They suggest something else is happening: because the transcription does not stop at the end codes, it may appear that hundreds of additional genes are being transcribed, but these are never translated into proteins. Prof. Dölken explains:

    Unlike previous studies, which only studied single genes, we also found no indication that the virus generally impedes the processing of RNA in the cell nucleus, known as splicing. Instead, it causes unusual splicing events, many of which have never before been observed.

    The study also achieves a significant step forward in the method for studying viruses in cells. It shows how a single experimental approach can be used to observe and record all the changes to host RNA transcription and their effect on protein production.

    How Is It Spread

    The herpes virus is spread by skin-to-skin contact with a person who has the herpes virus:

    • Most often, from herpes sores or blisters
    • Less often, from normal looking skin where the virusfirst entered the body
    • The herpes virus enters the body through the:
      • Lining of the mouth
      • Regular skin that has small cracks or cuts

    People with a weak immune system can get a herpesinfection more easily. A weak immune system is causedby some diseases and by somemedicines used to treat serious diseases.

    People who don’t know they have herpes can still spread the virus to others.

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    Herpes Might Not Have Any Symptoms

    You or your partner may not have any herpes symptoms that you can see or feel, or the signs of herpes may be so mild you dont even notice them. Sometimes people confuse herpes symptoms with other things, like pimples, ingrown hairs, and the flu.

    Herpes symptoms come and go, but that doesnt mean the infection goes away or that you cant spread it to other people. Once you have herpes, it stays in your body for life.

    From Genes To Proteins: Transcription And Translation

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    Our DNA code contains the instructions for making all the cells of our whole body, and the work that they do. Each cell contains the DNA for the whole individual, but not every cell needs to obey all the instructions in all of the DNA.

    DNA on its own does not do anything. Imagine a cell is like a factory its DNA holds the map of the factory and the instruction manuals for its production line. For the factory to work it needs workers and machinery. The cellular equivalent of these are proteins the workhorses that carry out all the cell functions.

    To create the workhorses or proteins, cells make working copies of the genes in the DNA that are relevant to them. Thus, liver cells copy genes in the DNA that are relevant to liver cells and ignore genes and bits of code relevant to lung and other types of cell.

    Taking a working copy of a gene for making a protein is called transcription. The transcription is held in RNA molecules they decide which proteins should be made by the cell.

    The next stage, where RNA molecules instruct the cell machinery to make proteins is called translation. So the process of using DNA to make proteins has two stages transcription and translation.

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