Important Signs and Symptoms of Genital Herpes Many Men Overlook
Some of the characteristic male genital herpes symptoms are pretty hard to miss. The very first time a man is infected with the love bug also known as herpes simplex virus 2, or HSV-2, there can be blistering from the tip along the shaft of the penis, difficulty urinating, penile discharge, blisters on the anus (regardless of whether the anus was involved in a sex act), buttocks, and thighs, and general symptoms like flu.
The immune system chases the virus into the nerves serving the lower back, where it hibernates until it is reactivated, usually about a month later, and six times or so the first year after infection, less often each succeeding year. Some men have symptoms just as bad as their first attack every time the virus reawakens. Some men just have some of the symptoms they had with their first attack. And some men never have any symptoms at all.
The US Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta estimates that about 23 million men in the United States alone have been infected with genital herpes. Only about 5 million men ever get treatment. The other 18 million have symptoms they don't know are caused by the disease. These men can develop extreme forms of herpes if they ever chemotherapy, and they are at increased risk for catching HIV. And they can infect their partners without ever knowing they are infectious.
What are some tip-offs that you have genital herpes? Here are three of the signs and symptoms of genital herpes most doctors won't tell about.
- You get lower back pain even if you haven't strained your back. Sure, there are lots of causes of lower back pain. But lower back pain that radiates out to your buttocks and down to your thighs, especially if you feel a tingling of your penis, is a possible sign that you have the virus and it's reactivated. A simple blood test can tell whether the problem is herpes (although it can't tell you which kind).
- You don't get the full-blown symptoms of genital herpes but you develop something like a cold sore on your penis. This can literally be a cold sore on your penis, caused by HSV-1, usually contracted after receiving oral sex from someone with an active infection of this milder form of the herpesvirus. A strong indication that you have this kind of viral infection is the appearance of blistering on the penis, without any other symptoms, and just on the penis, after outdoor activities in the nude.
- From time to time you feel like you are coming down with the flu, but you don't. If flu-like symptoms occur with or before feelings of genital tingling, lower back pain, or jock itch, you may need to get tested for herpes to get appropriate treatment.
What should you do if you have these symptoms? Go to your doctor! But in the meantime:
- Wear a condom, even if your partner is on the Pill.
- Avoid spermicides, which can cause tiny abrasions in the penis and vagina that make it easier to transmit the virus (and that can increase your own chances of picking up a second infection with a different microorganism), and
- While you are waiting to see your doctor, try echinacea and garlic as herbal remedies. Both herbs contain compounds that kill herpesviruses. They won't cure you, but they may slow down the multiplication of the virus. Garlic pills can be used to avoid garlic breath.
And another guy-cure for sores breaking out? Grab a can of beer. Hold the can against your penis as long as you can stand it, preferably for at least 15 minutes. (Use good judgment about consuming the beer in the can later. The herpes virus can adhere to the pull tab.) The cold may stop the multiplication of the virus long enough for other remedies to do their work.
Don't let the signs and symptoms of genital herpes freak you out. Genital herpes doesn't have to ruin your life. Getting it diagnosed and treated and kept under control can allow you to have an honest and healthy sex life while keeping your partner safe.