Oral Herpes

While most people have heard of genital herpes, the term oral herpes isn’t as well-known. More common and recognizable terms associated with oral herpes are fever blisters or cold sores.

Oral herpes is usually caused by type 1 of the herpes simplex virus also known as HSV-1. When a person is infected with the herpes simplex virus, type 1, they often develop fever blisters on or around the mouth.

The symptoms of oral herpes can be quite painful. They appear as clusters of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. Sometimes the blisters break open, emitting a clear liquid. The area around the outbreaks may become extremely painful and tender. The areas may also become rather unsightly, appearing red and swollen before developing scabs. The healing time for a it can range for a few days to a couple weeks or more.

Contact with a cold sore or with fluid released from it can be enough to spread oral herpes. A casual kiss on the lips or even the cheek also can be enough to pass along the oral-herpes causing virus, because the herpes simplex 1 virus can be transmitted through the exchange of saliva. That’s why it is not surprising to learn that estimates show that anywhere from fifty to eighty percent of the adult population in the United States has oral herpes.

Oral herpes may not be as widely discussed as genital herpes but with its prevalence in our society it makes sense to be informed about the disease.