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herpes and cold sores
i had a cold sore when i was in 5th grade. now i am in college and have never had one. i know that cold sores are a class of herpes so my question is do i have it? and if i do is it going to come back?
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You always will have herpes. It is a virus that lives in your body, the nerve cells actually. Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) is not curable at all. Once you contract herpes they will be with you for your entire lifetime, even when you don't have an outbreak.
I've answered many, many questions about herpes, both oral and genital strains. I hope that these links to other questions will come in handy for you:
"Can you get an STD from giving a hand job?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"Can you contract herpes on the outside of your genitals?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"How do you know if you have herpes? What is herpes anyway?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"My boyfriend got sperm in my eyes. Are there risks? (Ocular herpes information)"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
"How did I get herpes? We used a condom and everything! Oh, and what helps calm the virus down so I don't have so many outbreaks?"
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Many people will have the initial contraction outbreak and then go years without having another one. Many people will have one every so many years or will only experience one outbreak in their entire lifetime. Very few people will even contract herpes and never show signs or symptoms of it.
Herpes can be triggered to outbreak from many things. You can wind up with an outbreak from stress, menstruation, chocolate, the flu, colds, etc. The virus is usually shed most when the immune system is lowered or when the body is low in L-Lysine so this is why a lot of people end up with outbreaks near flu season.
Because the virus sleeps sometimes, it is unknown when you will have an outbreak. Sometimes people have a few symptoms of an outbreak (the area can be sore, itchy, tingly, etc.) and sometimes people have no idea that they are about to experience an outbreak.
Outbreak or not, out bodies are constantly shedding skin cells all over--including your lips and genitalia. Sometimes the virus will be shed out of these areas (HSV-1 usually from the lips, HSV-2 usually from the genitals). This being said, you never know when your body is shedding some of the infected cells. Nobody can tell when they are shedding the skin cells because it is so natural your body does not react to it. There will be no "signs" to shedding the cells, you see.
When the skin cells are being shed, this is when the virus is most contagious. It is true that they are shed a lot more during an outbreak (which is why it's VERY important to never engage in sexual activity during this time). Since nobody can tell you which cells you are currently shedding off it is impossible to know if you're shedding the virus.
Now, it is very possible that you can transfer herpes onto the genitals of a male or female if giving oral. HSV-1 (oral herpes) can definately be contracted on genitals; however, because it is still the HSV-1 strain it is not considered genital herpes even though it would occur on the genitals. Just as some people have contracted HSV-2 (genital herpes) on their mouths, the two strains are different and cannot morph into each other.
Condoms can lessen risks of infecting someone but are not considered a preventative. Also, you can spread oral herpes onto other areas of your body so it's very important that you wash your hands before and after touching the sore (which you should do as little as possible anyway). Make sure you inform your partner about his disease so he takes special precautions. If you do not inform a partner of your infection and they end up contracting it from you then they can sue you for bodily damages for not informing them prior to certain activities.
Just as a note, the first outbreak usually occurs in or around the [infected or exposed] area between 3 days and 2 weeks after exposure to the virus.
Any other questions you have, PLEASE feel free to ask me! I am fairly well educated about herpes, including some treatments for it (no, it's not curable yet). I want people to be as educated as they possibly can be about this because it's serious business. SO, please feel free to see a question to my inbox if you have any you want me to answer.
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cold sores are pretty common and alot of people do get them. the first symptoms of cold sores may include pain around your mouth and on your lips, a fever, a sore throat, or swollen glands in your neck or other parts of the body. after the blisters appear, the cold sores usually break open, leak a clear fluid, and then crust over and disappear after several days to 2 weeks. however the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores cannot be cured. after you get infected, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life. if you get cold sores often, treatment can reduce the number of cold sores you get and how severe they are. After you have been infected with the virus, there is no sure way to prevent more cold sores. But there are some things you can do to reduce your number of outbreaks and prevent spreading the virus. avoid the things that trigger your cold sores, such as stress and colds or the flu. always use lip balm and sunscreen on your face. too much sunlight can cause cold sores to flare. try to avoid sharing towels, silverware, toothbrushes, or other objects that a person with a cold sore may have used. when you have a cold sore, make sure to wash your hands often, and try not to touch your sore. this can help keep you from spreading the virus to your eyes or genital area or to other people. so as you can see, you may or may not get another cold sore but it is possible since you had one before. hope i helped ♥ LU
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How your cold sore originated was from the herpes simplix virus, so you do contain the virus, you could of contracted it from another person or you could of just been born with it. To answer the question of will it return, it is a possibility it may. The likely hood that it will come back for you seems rare due to the fact you have yet to have another outbreak from 5th grade until now. Normally what triggers the recurrence of a cold sore is due to flus, colds, fevers, stress, sun exposure, hormone changes (time of the month), weak immune system. The site below will give you more information about cold sores and how to treat one if you do happen to have an outbreak.
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
hope that helps you out.
BRITTNI
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some people get cold sores more than others. It doesn't necessarily mean you have the full blown virus but it sometimes does mean that. You should go to the doctor and get checked because if you do you can get medicine and knowledge about how not to spread it. Just so you know you can have mouth herpes without having genital but just to make sure you should go to your doctor.
hope I helped
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