The lesion, commonly known as Herpes, is an infectious disease caused by the virus called Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). 45 million people in the U.S. alone have the disease, and 500,000 new cases occur each year. The dramatic aspect of this picture is that most patients are unaware that they are sick, either because they do not have any complaints or because they misinterpret the symptoms.
There are 2 types of HSV: HSV1 and HSV2. While HSV1 generally causes herpes-like lesions around the lips, HSV2 generally causes infection in the genital organs. After the virus causes infection for the first time, it can remain silent in the nerve nodes for years and cause re-infection in the appropriate environment and time. Therefore, HSV infections are insidious infections. SYMPTOMS: Herpes symptoms vary from person to person. In the first attack, following an incubation period of 2 days to 3 weeks after exposure to the virus, burning, itching, pain in the legs, pain in the hips and genital area, vaginal discharge, and a feeling of fullness in the abdominal cavity may be observed. A few days after these initial findings, herpes-like sores appear in the infection area. These sores may be in the vagina and cervix. These wounds disappear without leaving a scar within 3-4 days. After this stage, the virus settles in the nerve roots at the spinal cord level and begins to wait there in an inactivated state. It causes periodic re-infection in many people. During these reinfections, viruses travel along the nerves and cause new lesions, usually near the areas where the initial infection occurred. It is not necessary to have visible lesions during every infection attack. Most of the time there are attacks that go unnoticed. Since the virus spreads through vaginal secretions during these periods, the woman can transmit the disease to her sexual partner. Diagnosis: It is easy to make the diagnosis in the presence of visible lesions. However, some laboratory tests may be required to show that it is HSV. The best way to do this is to perform viral culture on material taken from lesions during active infection. However, this is a very costly technique. Failure to produce viruses in the material does not mean that there is no disease. Because definitive diagnosis is very difficult, many cases are diagnosed and treated incorrectly. in the blood The presence of HSV can also be detected by immunological tests. However, these tests do not indicate active infection. It only determines whether the person has had an infection at any time in his or her life and whether the immune system has developed antibodies against the virus. Even if antibodies are present, they do not protect the person from new infections.
Blood test also cannot differentiate between oral and genital infections. Although blood tests that can distinguish HSV1 and HSV2 have recently been developed, their widespread use is not yet available. Treatment: Today, different medications are available for the treatment of Herpes, but these medications cannot provide definitive treatment. Since it is a viral infection, antibiotics are ineffective. Medications only reduce the severity and duration of the first attack and reduce the frequency of subsequent attacks. People with HSV infection can reduce the duration of the infection and its contagiousness by following a few simple rules. The simplest but most important of these precautions is to keep the infected area clean and dry. It is extremely important not to touch the area with herpes or to wash your hands immediately after touching it. It is also important to avoid sexual intercourse until the lesions are completely healed.
Recurrent infections occur in situations that reduce body resistance, such as trauma, cold, menstruation or stress. All wounds in the genital area are important. The scariest thing here is the possibility of other diseases being mistaken for herpes and missed. For this reason, any wound in the genital area must be examined by a doctor. Another important issue is that in the presence of herpes infection, other sexually transmitted diseases are also possible. Risks: Genital Herpes infection brings with it some risks. However, it does not have effects that may affect the long-term quality of life. People who are in a situation where general body resistance is reduced, such as pregnancy, should be followed carefully for active infection.
If the first attack of Herpes occurs during pregnancy, then the virus can pass to the baby and there is always a risk of premature birth in such pregnancies. Neurological damage and death occur in the P of babies born with neonatal herpes (who came into contact with the virus and became infected while in the womb). death occurs. Brain inflammation, eye problems, and serious rashes occur in babies, but most of these babies benefit from antiviral drug treatments. The risk in babies largely depends on whether the mother's attack is the first or recurrent attack. Since it takes a long time for the results of viral cultures to investigate the presence of active infection, cesarean section is preferred as the method of delivery in cases where genital herpes is suspected. If there is no active infection, cesarean section is not necessary.
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