Herpes labialis is a difficult infectious disease to deal with and oral herpes symptoms do not make it any easier. Oral herpes (herpes labialis) is an infectious and contagious condition caused mainly by the herpes simplex virus, more specifically the first type, HSV-1.

Symptoms of Oral Herpes

Oral herpes symptoms may vary largely depending on the stage and the degree of the infection. The most common symptom of oral herpes is the formation of cold sores of fever blisters. Before appearing, the individual may initially feel some pain, itching and burning sensation near the lips and the mouth. After two to three days, the blisters begin appearing and eventually erupt.

Cold sores are usually found in the mouth area, and they usually erupt in the lips, the tongue, the gums, the inside areas of the cheek, the roof of the mouth, and even the throat. The worst that a herpes sufferer may go through would be difficulty in intake of food and drinks due to the presence of the blisters all over the mouth. Some cold sores extend towards the chin and neck area. During the infection, the lymph nodes found in the neck usually swell and become painful.

What Does Oral Herpes Look Like?

Fever blisters initially appear as dull, red spots on the lip area and they are the earliest symptoms of cold sores that can be felt by an individual. After a day or two, these spots turn into fever blisters which are filled with fluid. These blisters look like small, gray and shallow skin ulcers on top of a red base. They tend to break down rapidly to produce a scab, which usually look yellowish, dry and crusted.

What is unfortunate about contracting oral herpes is that once it infects you, the HSV-1 does not leave your body as normal virus would. Once your fever blisters heal, the herpes virus would lie dormant in your nervous system and will likely erupt anytime if triggered by inducing factors.

Other Oral Herpes Signs and Symptoms

The symptom of oral herpes is not limited to the appearance of cold sores and fever blisters alone. An oral herpes virus infection may be couple with muscle pain, fever, fatigue and tiredness, extreme sensitivity and irritability.

Is Oral Herpes Contagious?

Oral herpes is without any doubt, contagious. Those who suffer from cold sore outbreaks are strongly advised to avoid direct contact with the people around them, especially after touching an infected area. Touching, sharing of personal items such as make-up, glass, spoons, towels and toothbrush will cause the virus to spread. Intimate contact such as kissing and cuddling is also highly discouraged.

Oral Herpes and Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is caused by a variant of the same herpes simplex virus, which is the HVS-2. These two viruses behave similarly, though they infect different areas of the body. What is important to note is that cold sores can be easily transmitted from the mouth to the genitals and vice versa.

How can oral herpes be transmitted as genital herpes? If an individual with oral herpes performs oral sex on a partner, the partner will undoubtedly contract the virus as genital herpes.

In the same way, if you have active genital herpes and someone performs oral sex on you, your partner will get infected with the virus and contract oral herpes.

Thus, it is possible to contract genital herpes from a cold sore and oral sex. Of course, genital herpes is spread through sexual contact.

Oral herpes symptoms are always uncomfortable, painful, unsightly, and very difficult to conceal, but being aware of the risk factors involved in can help you manage the infection and prevent it to worsen or spread.