What Does Herpes Look Like and How Do You Recognize It?

What does herpes look like? Identification of symptoms is an important part
of early diagnosis and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases like
herpes. Not all STD's look alike, and some have no physical appearance at
all, making it all the more difficult for infected persons to seek
treatment, either medical or alternative, for their herpes infection.

Herpes is caused by the Simplex 1 and Simplex 2 virus, which more often than
not are responsible for the oral and genital versions, respectively. The
actual presence of the virus in the body exhibits no signs at all. During a
flare-up of the virus, however, the skin is the predominantly affected area
on the body, and the severity of the symptoms vary from case to case and can
range from mild redness to clusters of painful blisters on the skin.

When answering what does herpes look like, it depends on what part of the
body is exhibiting the symptoms. Let's take a closer look:

What does genital herpes look like?

Other than the location of the sores, the symptoms of genital herpes are
almost identical to those of oral herpes, and the sores look similar. With
genital herpes, lesions appear in and around the genital area of the
infected person. They can appear on and around the penis and testicles in
men, on the exterior and interior vaginal areas of women, and in the anal
area and inside the urethra of both sexes. Particularly in the vagina,
genital herpes lesions can be impossible to see, unlike oral sores that are
more obvious.

What does oral herpes look like?

You might be surprised at how often you've actually seen the symptoms in
those you have contact with on a regular basis. An oral herpes blister is
what is commonly referred to as a cold sore. The outbreak of such a sore
begins with a tingling and mild redness of the skin that then develops into
a blister that can be quite large and painful. These blisters are usually
located very near the lips of the infected person.

The blister contains clear fluid and will burst in time and dry up as the
cycle of the infection comes to a close. It is important to note that this
fluid is highly contagious, and when it is present in and around the sore,
the infected person is most likely to pass the disease to another.

Because many people are not sure of what does herpes look like, and because
symptoms can mimic other skin disorders and sexually transmitted diseases,
it's important to have unexplained sores checked by a professional. If oral
or genital herpes is the cause, there are many treatment options available.

Medications, both prescription and over the counter, exist for the treatment
of herpes symptoms, and alternative, natural remedies have also been found
that are often as effective or more so than their conventional treatment
counterparts. The key is for people who think they might be infected to get
information first so that they can make informed decisions about their own
health, coping with symptoms, and limiting the spread of this highly
contagious disease.

Sheldon Miller is a health researcher who has been studying natural
remedies for various disorders for many years. He is a regular contributor
to Herpes Treatment Guide. Find out what does oral and genital herpes look
like on our site.

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