can herpes be life threatening and what is the worst scenario?!
Question: my sister had an out break of what she thinks is cold sores but its not the first time she has had them she had them about two weeks ago in her mouth and around her mouth she wants to know if they are herpes.people are telling her that cold sores and herpes are the same can you spread some light on this subject for her.also she has had them more than once over the years. as ive said she has always thought of them as cold sores.
Answers:
you are right your sister has a type of herpes virus called HSV1. it is very common to the point of 80% of the population carrying the virus. it manifests itself as cold sores or little vesicles (fluid filled sacs) that pop and become the sores. this is not the same virus that casues genital herpes (HSV2 is the virus) but they are related.
both diseases are infectious (can be spread) but must be passed by physical contact.
the virus lays dormant in nerves and during times of stress or anything else that weakens the body's defenses they multiply and manifest on the skin as sores.
worst case senarios only occur in people who have comprimsed immune systems, like HIV or people on chemo then the infection can spread to the brain and casue more serious problems, but this is rare and your immune system has to be very weakened.
treatment is symptomatic with medicine called acyclovir (valtrex) and this can shorten the amount of days that the pustules appear but nothing can clear the infection where it lays dormant in the nerves.
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