Back in the good old days, people didnít talk much about STD, herpes, genital warts or those types of things. They were considered to be rather unpleasant topics, the sort of things one would only discuss with their doctor.
However, the fact remains that a huge number of seniors have herpes, and this reluctance to discuss the disease really isnít helping anyone. Because herpes stays in the body for life (according to most doctors) what many older folks are finding is that they are coming down with herpes outbreaks even though they never knew that they had it living inside of them. I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s true. You see, if you have a strong immune system, then you may go years or even decades without a single outbreak, and then one day, out of the blue you have a bunch of itchy little herpes sores!
The following is a little bit gross, but it is important information that you need to know if you think that you or a loved one may have herpes. Of course the most important thing to do is to get in to see a doctor who will be able to provide you with a complete plan to treat your herpes if you do indeed suffer from this condition, but these tips may prove useful in the meantime.
Here’s how to tell if you have herpes:
Your skin itches and tingles… and you may even experience a painful burning sensation, usually for a couple of days – right before you see blisters on your skin.
Blisters form on your skin. These sores are usually painful, and are filled with fluid. When the skin breaks, the fluid leaks out, and a crust is formed. The sores usually heal within a week or so.
There are two types of herpes – oral herpes, or HSV-1, and genital herpes, or HSV-2. With the former, you usually see the sores on your lips or mouth. Sometimes, they may appear anywhere on the face or on your tongue. It is not uncommon to see these blisters someplace else on your skin though.
With genital herpes, you will see the blisters on the intimate parts of the body: anus, buttocks, vagina, or penis. Similar to oral herpes, these blisters can also materialize anywhere on the skin.
You may also experience the usual symptoms of influenza: fever, sore muscles, or inflamed lymph nodes/glands – usually on the neck (for oral herpes) or the groin (genital herpes).
In the case of genital herpes, you may find it difficult to urinate.
You may develop an eye-infection, medically referred to as herpes keratitis. When the virus affects the eyes, you tend to be very sensitive to light. It can be uncomfortable and it can be accompanied by a gritty sensation and discharge and is downright painful. Left untreated, scarring of the eye may occur, leading to cloudy vision, and sometime, loss of sight.
Don’t worry though, so long as you get in to see a doctor, chances are he’ll get you fixed up in no time flat and get you on a treatment plan to reduce your suffering.