Herpes Infections - Symptoms

Not everyone who is infected with the herpes virus will develop symptoms. Among those who do, the symptoms first appear within two to twenty days of infection. Symptoms that develop after the original infection are generally severer than those that appear in later episodes of the disease.

The first stage of infection often involves a set of symptoms called a prodrome. The prodrome is a warning sign that an infection has begun to develop in the body. Some symptoms of a herpes prodrome include pain, burning, itching, or tingling at the site where the blisters will form. The prodrome lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Following the prodrome, the characteristic herpes blisters begin to appear. Cold sore blisters first appear in the form of small red bumps that quickly fill with fluid. The blisters are very painful. They may either burst and form a scab or dry up and form a scab. The skin heals without scarring within six to ten days.

The appearance of genital herpes is somewhat different. The blisters formed in the genital area also begin as small red bumps that fill with liquid. In dry areas, the blisters form a scab and heal within two to three weeks. In moist areas, the blisters usually break and form painful ulcers before healing. New blisters may form over a period of a week or longer. They may then join to form very large ulcers (open sores). The pain usually disappears after about two weeks. The blisters and ulcers heal without scarring in three to four weeks.

Both forms of herpes tend to recur on a regular basis. In the case of cold sores, most people experience fewer than two outbreaks each year. This pattern varies considerably, however. Some people never have a second episode of cold sores, while others have many such episodes. Those who do have further outbreaks usually get blisters in the same area each time. They also tend to be triggered by the same factors, such as stress or exposure to sun.

Genital herpes tends to recur more often than cold sores. About 40 percent of persons infected with HSV2 will experience six or more outbreaks per year. The vast majority of patients with genital herpes will have at least one outbreak every year. Reoccurrences of HSV2 infections tend to be less severe than the initial outbreak. Patients usually have fewer blisters and less pain. The time between outbreak and healing may also get shorter with each outbreak.