Herpes in the Mouth

Herpes in the mouth is becoming more common these days.

Herpes may be a sexually-transmitted disease but its symptoms also appear in places other than the genitals. 

It appears as cold sores or blisters present on the face, especially on the lips.

But the sores can also appear inside the mouth!

Oral herpes is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 or HSV1.

This virus accounts for more infections than HSV2 or the genital herpes virus among young people perhaps due to the popularity of oral sex.

So if you're wondering about herpes inside the mouth, then read on to know more...

How is herpes in the mouth acquired?

You can acquire oral herpes through kissing or sharing oral utensils like toothbrushes, spoons and forks.

The virus can be transmitted whether lesions are present or not, so even if there is no outbreak, a person with oral herpes is infectious.

However, if you think that HSV1 can only cause oral herpes, you could not be more wrong.

In fact, 40% of genital herpes infections in the United States are caused by HSV1.

Oral Herpes Outbreak

One of the characteristics of herpes is the recurrence of outbreaks where signs and symptoms appear and the person is more likely to transmit the virus.

The severity of the symptoms varies from one infected person to another.

Some may experience just a tingling sensation around the mouth. Some may have lesions on the lip.

At worst, large or clusters of cold sores may appear in the mouth, even as far as the throat. Unlike genital herpes, herpes in the mouth recurs less frequently.

It could be about once every 2 years, sometimes even less.

An interesting thing to note about mouth herpes outbreak is that it could be triggered by sunlight.

For example, if you are infected with HSV1 and you spend the entire day sunbathing or just walking under the sun for a prolonged period of time, you could experience an outbreak a few days later.

This is also true for trauma that may be caused by facial surgery.

If you experience any similar symptoms, it is best to get herpes testing.

Many people infect other people with oral herpes, and they don’t even know they have it in the first place.

Keep your immune system strong to prevent any recurrence.

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