Will I test + if I had a herpes on my lip?

[curious]

If I do blood test for herpes, will I test + for it if I had it long time ago on my face lip? How can the blood test define type l from type ll herpes if it is the same virus?

[Schlocken]

Originally Posted by curious

If I do blood test for herpes, will I test + for it if I had it long time ago on my face lip? How can the blood test define type l from type ll herpes if it is the same virus?

Type-specific blood tests can accurately detect and distinguish between HSV 1 and HSV 2.

What blood tests can't do is tell you for certain where the virus is located. HSV 2 infections almost always relate to a genital infection, while the tendency is for HSV 1 to be the result of orofacial herpes. These are far from absolute, though, as either type can infect anogenital or oral skin. HSV 2 doesn't commonly infect orofacial skin, though, so a + test there can reasonably be assumed to represent a genital infection. A positive HSV 1 blood test is a little less telling, since that strain of the virus is more readily found outside of its preferred area. Also, HSV 1 is very common, and anyone with a history of cold sores would expect to test positive on that basis alone.

So is a bump on your face or lip always herpes?

Originally Posted by Tabitha

So is a bump on your face or lip always herpes?

Nope, bumps are sometimes just bumps. Herpes on the face/lips usually are in the form of cold sores. Classic lesions tend to form as small fluid-filled blisters that can appear as a single blister or in a cluster. Sores may also appear inside the mouth or on the back of the throat, and the lymph nodes in the neck may swell.

Much like genital herpes, however, symptoms of oral herpes can be very mild and go unnoticed. Subtle symptoms can be easily mistaken for another infection or condition such as a small crack or cut in the skin, chapped lips, bug bite, or a pimple, to name a few examples.

Beyond all that, there's no real way to tell unless you have a viral culture done on a suspected cold sore (blood tests can confirm if someone has the type of herpes that usually causes cold sores orally - HSV1- but can't sort out if a symptom is or isn't related), which is kinda overkill in most cases. Just don't kiss or perform oral sex while any bumps are present.