Herpes Symptoms

There are eight types of herpes viruses that can infect humans, and each virus type can cause different symptoms and conditions. It is also important to remember that each person is different, and regardless of which type of herpes you are infected with, you may experience no symptoms or numerous symptoms.

Herpes Simplex Virus 1, also known as type one, causes cold sores to develop on the mouth, nose, and lips. This herpes virus can also cause tingling and burning in the area where the cold sores are appearing. This virus can also cause genital herpes, and sores on the genitals, if oral genital contact has occurred with someone who has herpes simplex virus 1. Painful blisters can appear on the tongue and inside the mouth as well. The blisters rupture, causing open sores and ulcers to take their place. The sores will scab over and then slowly heal. This virus can also cause a low grade fever, chills, a sore throat and difficulty swallowing, muscle pain, swollen glands, backache, and a loss in your hearing. If herpes simplex virus type one causes genital herpes, the symptoms may be more severe than if the infection was caused by herpes simplex type two.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 causes genital herpes. Symptoms of this herpes infection include fluid filled blisters in batches in the penis, vulva, or rectum area. These blisters can also appear on the upper thighs and the buttocks. They are usually very painful, and the skin around the blisters will be very red and irritated. The blisters will eventually burst, leaving open sores that scab over before healing over a matter of days. Common symptoms besides the blisters and rash can include a fever, muscle aches, swollen glands, a backache, a headache, possibly nausea and diarrhea, and feeling tired with no effort expended. Women seem to experience more symptoms, and experience them more severely. In women additional symptoms are common and can include nerve pain, yeast infections, pain in the lower abdominal area, difficulty urinating, and itching as well as the other symptoms.

Herpes Virus type 3 is the varicella- herpes zoster virus. This virus causes both the chickenpox and shingles, which is when the virus is reactivated in your system. Symptoms of the chickenpox include a fever which can get as high as one hundred and five degrees, swollen glands, a headache and backache, many flu like symptoms, and then a typical rash after the other symptoms have been present for a few days. The chickenpox rash consists of medium sized blisters which are filled with fluid, and these blisters can break out all over the body, including in the mouth, nose, ears, scalp, and others. The skin between these blisters turns red and irritated. The blisters itch, and then they rupture, leaving skin ulcers that scab over. If scratched, the chicken pox can leave scars on your skin. Shingles usually occurs in adults, and is caused when the virus is reactivated, usually because your immune system is down. When this happens the virus is called herpes zoster. Shingles usually only affects one side of the body, and is most common on the trunk, head, or neck. Pain is the biggest sympto, and the pain follows along the nerve that is affected. The pain can last weeks or months before the typical rash appears. The affected area itches, can go numb, and may be excruciatingly sensitive, to where a simple touch to the area is unbearable. In some patients, muscle aches and pain like with the flu can also be experienced. When the virus infection becomes fully active, the rash appears. This rash consists of red aggravated skin that is sensitive and itches, and small blisters may also appear along the nerve line where the virus reactivated.

Herpes Virus type 4 is the Epstein Barr virus. This virus can cause mononucleosis. Symptoms of type four can include a persistent sore throat lasting more than two weeks, swollen lymph nodes, a persistent fever that runs around one hundred and two degrees, discomfort most of the time, fatigue and chronic tiredness with no energy, discomfort around bright lights, eye pain, an enlarged spleen, a liver infection, and even a rash in some infected people.

Herpes Virus type 5 is known as the cytomegalovirus, or CMV. This virus can also cause mononucleosis and hepatitis. Symptoms of this viral infection may range from no symptoms to severe symptoms that can be life altering. This herpes virus can cause diarrhea, stomach and intestinal infections, blindness, and even death in people who have a lowered immune system, as is the case with AIDS patients, organ transplant patients, and chemotherapy patients, among others. Most people who have a strong immune system will either have no symptoms or very mild flu like symptoms.

Herpes Virus type 6 and type 7 are very closely related, and have many of the same symptoms. Both of these viruses can cause roseola in small children, and febrile seizures in infants. Most of the population has been exposed to both strains of this virus in childhood and have never exhibited any symptoms. In small children, a high fever, a skin rash, and seizures may be symptoms of one of these two virus types. Both herpes virus type 6 and type 7 have only recently been discovered, so the full effects of the viruses may not be fully known.

Herpes Virus type 8 is also recently discovered. This virus is present in certain types of cancers that are normally rare, but are common in patients with AIDS as well as this herpes viral infection. Symptoms can include a chronic low grade fever, an enlarged spleen, swelling and edema, a skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nodules lying under the skin, arthritis in any joint, liver difficulty, bluish spots or lumps on or under the skin, fatigue, and other symptoms which may mimic the flu. Kaposi's Sarcoma is another symptoms, and so are certain other virally caused cancers. This herpes virus type can lead to life threatening cancers that can spread quickly, so if you have any of these symptoms see your doctor.