How Herpes Affects the Face

Proper rest and nutrition and avoiding stress as well as harsh sunburn or trauma to the face might help prevent or reduce primary breakouts or recurrences of Herpes Simplex virus on the face. To prevent spread of infection, avoid sharing drinks, straws and eating utensils as well as close, physical contact with infected people.

History

• More than half the population in the United States harbors Herpes Simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) in their nerve cells even if they have never had an outbreak of the disease. A social stigma surrounds Herpes Simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) or genital herpes because the majority of infections result from sexual contact with infected persons.

Types

• Herpes Simplex virus I (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) are similar, but HSV-1 is typically acquired during childhood and appears somewhere on the face or mouth, while HSV-2 is thought to result from sexual contact with a Herpes-infected person usually during adulthood.

Features

• HSV-1, often found on the face, usually lies dormant in nerve cells in the trigeminal ganglion region near the ear, and HSV-2 typically resides at the base of the spine in the sacral ganglion. Both types can cross-infect through oral-genital contact, may spend their latent periods in the other's resident region, and might express in unexpected places such as the eyes and brain or anal region.

Identification

• The Herpes simplex virus often produces painful blisters on face, lips or inside nose, mouth and elsewhere with a reddened localized area and might also cause flu-like symptoms, including fever and sore throat.

Transmission

• HSV-1 and HSV-2 gain entrance to the body by direct contact with a herpes-infected site or with the body fluids of an infected person, or by contact with the shedding virus of an infected but, perhaps, asymptomatic individual.

Treatment

• No vaccine exists, but medications may be give given at first sign of an outbreak such as tingling, burning, itching and fever on or around lips, mouth, nose or elsewhere. These medications include Acyclovir (Zovirax), Valtrex and Famvir.