Someone might live without noticing herpes virus they are carrying. This virus may stay for a long time inside the body and be visible through an outbreak. You might experience fever, itching skin, fever blisters, burning, and tingling areas during herpes flare ups. Some body parts are susceptible to herpes compared to other parts. You might have experienced fever blisters which occur around your mouth, lips, and nose. These are watery and itching, accompanied by tingling and burning sensation when it gets more severe. This is possible that you are suffering from a labial herpes, or what is called as cold sores or fever blisters. Otherwise, some people might feel the symptoms which are more or less similar, but located on their genitals. Thus, this means you are suffering from a genital herpes.
Differences between cold sores and genital herpes
Although similarly caused by herpes virus infection, cold sores and genital herpes are located on different body areas, your labials and your genitals. Cold sores is also called as fever blisters or labial herpes. This is a herpes infection which caused a group of small bumps filled with water which are located around your mouth or nose. These blisters might cause scabs and can spread through the other locations when the affected areas are touched before you accidentally touch another area without washing the hands. Cold sores is caused by herpes simplex virus HSV-1. On the contrary, genital herpes is located on someone’s private areas and is transmitted through sexual intercourses, including oral, anal, and vaginal one. Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus HSV-2. Both herpes viruses are attracted by the skin and mucous membranes found around the mouth and genital region.
HSV-1 is mostly associated with mild outbreaks of cold sores or fever blisters on the lips or mouths which can be healed using topical medications. Although it cannot be instantly healed, regular ointment application helps a lot with labial herpes. As it occurs on your visible sites, it is easy for you to use various remedies to attempt to heal the infection. Differently, HSV-2 is associated to the more painful outbreak which cause fever and severe itching to your genital. In fact, both herpes infections cause similar effects and outbreaks severity. However, genital herpes is usually taken care with oral medications, as it is not easy to find harmless topical medications which can be applied to genital areas without potential side effects.
Which one is more dangerous?
HSV-2 which causes genital herpes is often assumed to be more harmful than HSV-1 which “only” cause labial infection. In fact, both viruses are equally similar. Genital herpes might seem more serious as it is located in genital area, where people can see limited visible symptoms there. Topical medications is also not easy to be applied under there, so that progress can also be hardly seen. This HSV-1 and HSV-2 cannot possibly exchange its infection sites. However, transmission between the two is possible. You can transmit your labial herpes to your spouse penis through oral sex, and vice versa. Initial treatment for both herpes outbreaks will lead into faster healing and less painful experience. Prevention can also be done by checking your susceptibility to both herpes simplex viruses through a Pap test.
Tips for less herpes transmission
If you are sexually active, you have to be aware of the herpes risk, as it can be transferred from labial to genital and vice versa. Condoms can help protecting yourself from herpes transmission you might get from sexual intercourse. Leave your infected labial areas alone during flare ups also helps. Touching the infected areas might spread herpes—HSV-1 and HSV-2 from one area to another. Hence, washing your hands after medicating the infected sites is a wise prevention act which can minimize the transmission of both kinds of herpes. Strengthen you immune system is also needed, so that there will be no frequent outbreaks.