Recognizing common herpes these days is possible for many, and almost everyone begins to worry about whether they will infect relatives or not. Worrying about this, people eliminate not only bodily contact with loved ones, but also cease to use common utensils. But how competent is this approach to such a common disease?
General characteristics
Herpes, translated from Greek, means "creeping disease of the skin." This is a skin disease that is viral in nature. This virus is characterized by rashes in the form of many bubbles on the mucous membranes and skin.
The causative agent of herpes is the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which is inherent in 90% of the world's population, but manifests itself in only 5%. Based on these data, we can conclude that in 85% of people such a disease does not manifest itself in any way, although they are its carriers.
So is herpes contagious or not? This disease in itself does not represent anything serious, but it should be noted right away that it is the firsta sign of a malfunction in the body, moreover, it is the causative agent of a recurrent disease or some kind of dangerous infection.
Views:
- herpes simplex;
- genital herpes;
- shingles.
What does herpes affect?
Herpes often affects one specific area, such as the rims of the lips, the wings of the nose, sometimes found on the forehead and cheeks. The most common area for herpes is the lips. Despite this, there have been cases in medicine when the manifestation of this virus was simultaneously observed in all these zones at the same time. It should be noted right away - herpes on the lips is contagious in the same way as on other parts of the body.
So, the virus can show up on:
- eyes and skin (e.g. conjunctivitis);
- mucous membranes of the organs of the reproductive system;
- mucous membranes of the face.
Etiology of the phenomenon
In a dry climate, the herpes virus lives on average about a day, while with constant contact with liquids or in a humid climate, its life span is delayed from three to five days.
When asked whether herpes is contagious to others, experts give an affirmative answer, or rather, the infection process occurs when the mucous membranes of the patient come into contact with the he althy skin of an uninfected person. Even with the complete absence of visual symptoms in the patient, he is a danger to others.
How contagious herpes is - it's not easy to give an exact answer. Each patient has hisincubation period dependent on immunity. Definitely, herpes on the lips is contagious during the acute phase, that is, on average, about five days. Then, when the wounds begin to heal, herpes will no longer be contagious.
Methods of transmission of this infection are very diverse:
- using a public toilet;
- sex, no matter what kind of it a person resorts to;
- kisses, which once again answers the question posed - is herpes on the lips contagious;
- hypothermia or overheating.
Try not to contact with loved ones if herpes is in an acute stage. Now it has become approximately clear how many days herpes is contagious, but how to shorten this period or prevent the manifestations of the disease at all?
Symptomatic manifestations
The most common symptom, and at the same time the most recognizable, is the formation of a group of bubbles on any area of the skin. However, herpes is rich in other manifestations that remain unidentified by people without medical education, but speak of a more complex form of infection:
- pain in the tissues of the muscles, as well as in the joints;
- weakness, constant feeling of lack of sleep;
- temperature above normal;
- periodic headaches;
- itching, burning in certain areas of the skin;
- violation in the frequency of urination.
Herpes zoster
This type of herpes is considered the most dangerous for the he alth of the patient. OtherThe name for this disease is shingles. In a special risk group are those people who had chicken pox in childhood. Provoking factors are stress, weak immunity, severe diseases of a different nature and other pathologies. A clear symptom of infection with this particular type of herpes is pain along the nerve canals. After a few days, groups of painful blisters spread across this area, from which a clear liquid oozes.
The weaker the patient's immunity, the greater the area of herpes spread. Herpes zoster is characterized by rapid development of the disease. It can go from a simple form to a more severe one:
- Hemorrhagic period. With it, the bubbles tend to have bloody contents.
- Gangrenous form. With it, the bursting bubbles are covered with a crust and ulcers form.
- Generalized period. The last stage of the disease, which is the most dangerous for the patient, since with it the internal organs are covered with similar neoplasms.
Principles of treatment
When the first signs of shingles are detected, patients raise the alarm - what should be the treatment of herpes zoster, is it contagious.
There is no definite treatment, however. Symptomatic therapy is the only thing that specialists resort to. The only thing that is prescribed to patients is antipyretic and painkillers. In the event of the development of any inflammatory processes, antibacterialfunds.
The method of treating herpes is fundamentally different from the treatment of any other viral disease. Doctors have defined some criteria for the treatment of herpes:
- Drugs aimed at treating herpes as a separate disease have not yet been developed.
- Antibiotics also do not affect the course of herpes treatment.
- It is impossible to get rid of herpes or, in other words, it is impossible to cure it, since it remains forever inside the body.
- Usually people do not pay attention to the manifestations of herpes, as they tend to appear and disappear on their own. However, complications that occur extremely rarely encourage patients to go to a specialist.
Of course, there are a number of ointments that are aimed at dulling the symptoms of the disease, but they cannot cure the disease as a whole.
When shingles, you need to consult a dermatologist, as this type of herpes quickly spreads through the skin and becomes more severe. If the eye turned out to be damaged, then before the manifestation of serious consequences on the organ of vision itself, you should visit the office of an ophthalmologist. However, if the patient suffers from gingivitis or stomatitis, which, in turn, turned out to be the consequences of a severe form of herpes, he should consult a dentist.
Based on this, we can conclude that the treatment of each type of herpes is carried out by a certain specialist, however, only some types of herpes are cured on their own, the rest go into severe forms that are dangerous for the he alth of not only thethe patient, but also for others, therefore, if minimal signs of this disease are found, it is necessary to immediately consult a specialist.
Herpes myths
This disease has its own temperature scale - herpes practically does not appear during the dry period. There is a simple explanation for this - in a humid climate, the virus spreads rapidly, and the bubbles do not dry out, instead there is a process of constant moistening. Another climatic category acceptable for herpes is coolness, or rather even cold, since this disease develops rapidly with a weakened immune system, which happens in the winter season. However, this is not the only fact about this disease:
- Herpes is a contagious disease. Even from mother to child, this infection can be transmitted during childbirth.
- Herpes is independent of other diseases, the common cold also does not affect its presence.
- Herpes cannot be cured, even if the rash is completely eliminated, it remains in the body forever.
- Infection can occur not only in the acute, but also in the latent period.
- Even condoms are not guaranteed to protect against infection.
- Herpes is the second leading cause of infectious deaths.
Traditional medicine
First of all, it is important to recall that not a single "grandmother's" remedy can get rid of this disease, the only thing that traditional medicine affects is immunity. But also refusefrom folk and all favorite means is not worth it, since they have an exceptionally beneficial effect on the body. There are a number of herbs whose healing properties have been known for centuries:
- Chamomile. It helps during a cold in its various manifestations. It is an excellent immune booster.
- Licorice (its root). This plant also has properties that restore the body's immune defenses, but it is worth noting that excessive consumption of tea from these roots increases the risk of poisoning.
- Tansy. This is the only plant that should be consumed in moderation when cooked, that is, you need to eat two flowers a day. The effect will not be long in coming.
It must be remembered that before preparing and using any traditional medicine, it is recommended to consult a specialist in order to exclude the manifestations of allergies.
Prevention measures
The main and most competent way to increase immunity are vaccinations. You can resort to them only during the period when the disease is in the latent phase. It is important that a certain period of time has passed since the last manifestation of the virus. Namely, at least two weeks must pass.
Another condition on the way to eliminating the disease is the use of special ointments that have an antiviral effect.
These minimal safety measures will help a person susceptible to this infection bypass the diseaseside. However, this is not all precautions. The following points should also be noted:
- It is necessary to minimize the number of visits to public places - toilets, saunas, swimming pools.
- It is desirable to reduce the number of sexual partners. Ideally, one partner is needed.
- Try not to expose yourself to stressful situations.
- Minimize contact with infected people, even if they are family members.
- Avoid hypothermia or overheating of the body.
We must not forget that this disease does not make itself felt for a long time. In addition, it does not frighten infected people at first. In fact, the virus itself is a serious danger with all the consequences that come from it.
Immunity
No matter what method of treatment and prevention the patient resorts to, herpes can always remind of itself, so the only way to eradicate it is to strengthen the immune system. No matter how trite it may sound, but an incorrect and sedentary lifestyle leads to a weakening of the immune system. In addition, important factors to watch out for are vitamin D deficiency, polluted air, and an unbalanced diet. All this leads to a weakening of the body and, accordingly, complicates the treatment.
It is also necessary to pay special attention to the work of the gastrointestinal tract. When the gallbladder does not work properly, the body is damaged from the inside, as a result of which it weakens. The general condition is affected by diet and medication. Special attention should be paid to antibiotics, whose task is to fight bacteria. The diet of both a treated person and an absolutely he althy person should include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the required amount. They support the balance of immunity.
Another condition for recovery is careful attitude to rashes:
- Don't touch them, even if the patient is convinced that their hands have been disinfected.
- You should not peel off the crusts on the formations. It takes very little time for them to burst themselves.
- Squeezing out bubbles is also unacceptable.
- The patient must use only personal hygiene products.
Conclusion
In fact, herpes is contagious. However, if you follow simple safety rules, it turns out that it is not so difficult to avoid infection to others. In addition, getting rid of the symptoms of herpes or excluding its consequences also does not constitute serious difficulties, the main thing is to follow all the recommendations of a specialist and discard self-treatment attempts.
