The herpes virus is one of the most prevalent viral diseases known to man. As much as eighty percent of all people, worldwide, have herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), and twenty percent have herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2). This may sound like scary statistics, but most infected people suffer only mild discomfort. The more common form, HSV1, usually causes the occasional blister-like sores on or around the mouth. These blisters are called cold sores or fever blisters and, as most sufferers know, they are annoying and mildly painful but rarely dangerous. If the sores are left alone, they will generally heal up in five to twenty days. The less common version, HSV2, has the same symptoms except that the sores are usually found on or around the genitals. However, either type can be found in other places on the body and, in rare cases, the virus can cause serious problems. Ocular herpes (an infection of the eye) can cause blindness, and herpes encephalitis (an infection of the brain) can cause brain damage or death. We have no cure for the herpes virus at this time; once you have the virus, you have it for life. After the virus invades a new host, it incubates for two to twenty days. Then blister-like sores start to form, and in the initial breakout there can be fever, muscle aches and a general feeling of illness.
What is a virus?
Viruses are the smallest infectious agents known; too small to be seen with a normal microscope, an electron microscope is necessary to be able to see a virus. According to Oates, J.K. in Herpes: the facts (1983) " ... an average bacteria is roughly 1,000 nanometers in diameter, while viruses range in size from 300 to as little as 10 nanometers." and that " ... a human red blood cell, ... i...
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...ion and then rubbing their eye. This is called autoinoculation, and it is possible to autoinoculate any part of the body where there is a cut or break in the skin. Langston continued with
There are several forms of ocular herpes. The most common is ... the viral infection, i.e. a cold sore in the eye. Typically it causes a branching sore or ulcer on the surface of the cornea … Other forms include ... sterile ulcers that are slow to heal because of mechanical damage FROM the preceding virus infection, ... allergic or immune haze deeper in the cornea due to reaction to virus proteins left after the infection has cleared, and ... iritis or inflammation of the blue or brown part of the eye located behind the cornea. The immune form of corneal disease causes the greatest scarring. (para 5).
With proper medical care, ocular herpes almost never results in blindness.
may last one to three weeks. In many cases new clusters of blisters appear as
Herpes Zoster (HZ), or Shingles, is a cutaneous disease, characterized by a unilateral, dermatomal, and often painful vesicular rash. Following the primary infection of varicella zoster virus (VZV), the virus remains latent in the dorsal or cranial sensory ganglia. The outbreak typically results from reactivation of latent VZV.1 Herpes zoster (HZ) arises years or decades after primary infection with VZV, which is known in clinical settings as varicella and, in many instances, as chicken pox.1 HZ is primarily a disease in older adults or individuals with a weakened immune system. VZV is responsible for an estimated four cases of herpes zoster infection per one thousand people per year, with approximately 50% of these cases affecting patients at least 50 years old.1, 2 The number of incidences tends to increase proportionally with advancing age. Approximately 10-20% of the United States population will develop HZ, and about 50% are predicted to develop HZ in their life by the time they are 85.1, 2 Even though the number of people in the United States who get chickenpox each year has declined dramatically due to vaccinations, clinicians need to be educated about preventative strategies along with the current treatment options. This paper addresses correlating signs and symptoms of HZ, as well as existing treatments of acute HZ and post-herpetic neuralgia. It outlines current treatment strategies, along with deficiency of newest drugs and procedure implementations.
Many people can remember a time when they were a little kid and tiny little red bumps began to form on different locations of their skin. The small bumps began to spread and began to itch. Remembering the pink color of the calamine lotion that was used to soothe the itching sensation, realizing that these bumps were chicken pox. It is common knowledge that once a person contracts chicken pox and the outbreak clears up, the person will not get an outbreak again. Yet there are unknown complications that may develop later in life from having the chicken pox. Herpes zoster, or commonly known as Shingles, is one of these complications. Not only is this a very painful condition, but can lead to other complications as well (Sampathkumar, P., et al, 2009).
To some people these may be seen as a small bumps on the lip. Doctors call this kind of lip blister a cold sore virus. It may come with muscle aches, headaches as well as tiny red pimples on the vaginal or penis area. In this case, this is called genital herpes, and it’s transmitted sexually.
Conclusion. Herpes simplex is a virus that many people contract in their childhood. It can cause lesions to form on the mouth or genitals that are both painful and irritating. Majority of the time, they only cause discomfort to the host. However, in rare scenarios, it can be life threatening.
This is an information packet about Non-Curable Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s). There are several types of non-curable Sexually Transmitted Diseases: genital herpes, genital warts, hepatitis B, HIV and AIDS. Genital herpes is an infection caused by HSV-1 and HSV -2. (Describe HSV-1 and HSV 2) You can get genital herpes by having sex with someone that has it. Genital herpes can be spread by having oral sex, vaginal sex, or anal sex. It can also be spread by touching the infected area of someone that has it. Genital herpes is known to cause small painful sores or blisters. The sores can come and go, but once you have the virus you will always have it in your body. “The primary difference between the two viral types is in where they typically establish latency in the body- their "site of preference." HSV-1 usually establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglion, a collection of nerve cells near the ear. From there, it tends to recur on the lower lip or face. HSV-2 usually sets up residence in the sacral ganglion at the base of the spine. From there, it recurs in the genital area .
According to Medline Plus, the herpes simplex virus, also known as HSV, causes the infection known as Herpes. There are two types of HSV; there is Oral herpes that causes cold sores around the mouth or face and Oral herpes, or HSV 1, usually causes cold sores, however it is quite easy to transmit this disease to the genital area and can cause genital herpes. There is also HSV 2 and that is the usual cause of genital herpes, and like HSV 1, HSV 2 can infect the mouth. HSV 2 is also known as genital herpes and can affects the anal, buttocks or genital areas. This is a sexually transmitted disease, however there are other herpes infections that can affect the eyes, skin, or other parts of the body. Herpes can be dangerous in newborn babies or in individuals with weak immune systems.
‘HSV- type 1 which is very common, usually involves a form of ulcers on the skin or mucus membrane, which forms cold sores’ (SA Health, 2014). Where as, HSV- type 2 is known to affect the genital area forming genital herpes. Once an individual has been infected with either HSV-1 or HSV-2, both viruses remain in the body and is a life long infection. ‘Most of these viruses remain undiagnosed, as the symptoms are not recognizable unless the doctor has tested the individual positive with the virus’ (MIT Medical, 2011). When symptoms are visible they appear in an individual or multiple forms of blisters on the infected area.
The HBV virus is transmitted through contact with contaminated blood or other body fluids such as serum, semen and salvia. The condition following the infection can either be classified as acute or chronic HBV.
Young adolescents do not understand that genital herpes is highly contagious and can be passed without them knowing. There are two types of herpes viruses: “type-1 which usually causes cold sores on the lips and mouth, and type-2 which usually causes genital herpes (Wee 2).
While sitting around your house, watching television, you notice that you have been scratching your arm and in between your fingers for a little while. After taking a closer look you notice something that you assume is a rash and just ignore it. The next day however you notice that the rash has spread and that you think you see burrows in your skin. Then it hits you, the weekend that you spent away on vacation in that not so expensive hotel to save a couple of dollars has now cost you more money in the long run. You must go see your doctor to be treated for scabies!
Shingles, herpes zoster, is a very contagious and painful rash, or blister that appears on the skin. These rashes most commonly appear on the sides of the body in stripes. The stripes are made up of many very painful blisters caused by a certain type of virus. The varicella zoster, most commonly known as the chicken pox virus attacks the nerve roots in that area. The herpes zoster virus is in the herpes family, including HSV, herpes simple virus, which causes cold sores, fever blisters, and genital herpes. (WebMD, 2011) Most people are required to get the chicken pox shot when they are children although some do not. The chicken pox shot helps to keep out the virus by keeping it dormant in the nerves. The varicella zoster virus stays in a few cells; this is how shingles appear suddenly. It appears when the dormant cells become active in the later years of life.
Opthalamic: Apply a light touch to both eyeballs to instigate a blinking response, also known as the corneal reflex
Shingles is a painful disease that is caused by the same virus that causes the chicken pox. The shingles virus affects about 1 million people per year in the United States alone. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, occurs in people who have already had chickenpox when they were younger. Shingles causes a painful skin rash that usually appears in a band, strip or a small area on one side of the face or body. Most individuals who develop shingles are older than 50 years or have other medical problems like cancer because procedures like chemotherapy weaken your immune system. People who are immune-suppressed from medications they take, like steroid medications are also vulnerable because their immune system is weak, letting the shingles virus take over. Many things can weaken your immune system, for example having chronic diseases like diabetes, lupus, or HIV. Having poor nutrition, getting an injury, or having an organ transplant can all increase the chances of letting the shingles virus reactivate. Shingles and chickenpox is caused by a certain form of herpes virus. The virus that causes cold sores and herpes isn’t the same as the virus that causes shingles. Chicken pox never actually leaves the body after fully recovering from it; it actually remains in the nerve tissue until later forming into shingles. Chickenpox goes into a dormant sate and waits to be woken up and later causes shingles. It is still not fully understood why chickenpox reactivates to cause shingles. If someone has shingles and you come in contact with them you won’t receive shingles. There is a possibility though that if you haven’t gone to the doctor to get your chickenpox vaccine, and you have never gotten chickenpox before and you come in contact with a pe...
Herpesviruses are not only been present in humans, they are most often found in commonly studied animals which implicatively insinuates the amount of ...