Genital Herpes Vs. Oral Herpes
In this article, we’ll be discussing mainly on genital herpes vs. oral herpes but before that, an introduction to the disease.
Herpes is the fourth most common sexually transmitted disease. Like AIDS, it has no cure. The disease is caused by a very contagious virus called Herpes Simplex Virus. It has been known for more than two centuries now but was only recognized as a virus in the 1940s.
It has been called as a “vocational disease” in prostitutes as there was a time that there has been so many infected. Herpes has also been mentioned in several works such as Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “A System of Rational and Practical Chirurgery” by Richard Boulton.
Globally, the rate of HSV infection is between 65% and 90%.
Herpes Simplex Virus, abbreviated as HSV, is from the family Herpesviridae. There are two types namely: Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2. They are very similar to each other, are ubiquitous (meaning everywhere), and contagious.
The HSV-1 is the primary cause of face, eye, mouth, throat, and central nervous system infections. HSV-2, on the other hand, is the chief cause of infections in the anus and genitals. However, these two viruses are able to infect any of the areas mentioned.
Genital herpes vs. oral herpes is a fine comparison since these two are the most commonly occurring types of herpes infection. Oral herpes tops the list of the most number of infections with 254 million Americans as its victims (which brings the question “how many of the people in this number are orally fixated?”). This record is followed by genital herpes infecting about 45 million Americans and still continuously rising with half a million people being infected each year.
Compared to genital affectation, oral herpes can be more embarrassing since it is openly seen by other people. It can also be very sore, especially if it’s inside the mouth. What’s more, you can’t even kiss someone without you risking infection to the other.
This disease may present itself in two ways. It can either be symptomatic or asymptomatic. If symptoms are present, they can be blister-like rashes that can rupture and turn to ulcerative form. If treatment is not sought, the blisters may progress. They are generally very painful and sore. When there’s an outbreak, avoid touching the blisters and wash your hands frequently to minimize transferring the virus. Genital herpes and oral herpes symptoms are generally the same. Basically, the sores you see in mouth and genitals are the same kind, only occurring in different areas.
Treatments for herpes include antiviral drugs like: acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir, and penciclovir. They can be taken orally or applied topically. There are also alternative medicines but their efficiency hasn’t been proven by the medical field.
You may find the symptoms to go away after treatment but this doesn’t mean the HSV virus is already gone. If you do think that, then you’re horribly mistaken. Remember, this monster will stick with you forever like your shadow. The symptoms occur intermittently and you’ll be experiencing them every once in a while until a cure is found.