The initial symptoms of oral herpes include pain or tingling around the mouth. A small, fluid-filled cold sore then appears around the lips or mouth. The blister will eventually break open and then scab over like a cut. Oral herpes symptoms will go away within about two weeks.
Oral herpes symptoms are different for everyone. Some people experience painful, unsightly cold sores around the lips or even inside the mouth or nose. Other people have symptoms so mild, they are mistaken for other conditions such as acne, an insect bite, chapped lips or a small cut.
Oral herpes testing is the only way to diagnose the virus since symptoms can vary. It’s important to note that genital herpes can be transferred orally and also causes cold sores around the mouth. Both a genital herpes and oral herpes test are recommended to differentiate between the strains. That's why its imperative to get an Oral Herpes Test.
Though perhaps not as widely feared as genital herpes, oral herpes is a disease that most people simply don’t want to get. The reality though is that oral herpes is extremely common: Between 50 and 80 percent of the U.S. adult population is infected with oral herpes, and a big reason has to do with the fact that the disease is fairly easy to transmit. Recognizing oral herpes symptoms, however, can help you reduce your risk. And if it turns out that you already have oral herpes, fear not: Treatment is available.
Sores on the mouth and lips are the most well-known symptom of oral herpes. Also known as cold sores or fever blisters, these sores can vary in terms of size and color. Some cold sores are very pronounced, while others can constitute nothing more than a tiny bump on the mouth or lip.
Oral herpes symptoms in women and men can differ in terms of the discomfort they produce. For some people, blistering cold sores can cause a fair amount of pain, while others won’t be bothered by them at all. Even when oral herpes symptoms don’t cause actual pain, they can still take an emotional toll on sufferers, as the presence of cold sores can wreak havoc on even the most confident person’s self-esteem.
Cold sores produced by oral herpes will generally heal on their own without medical intervention. But if you do experience the painful version of this common oral herpes symptom, treatment is available to expedite the healing process and reduce the frequency of future cold sore outbreaks. Oral herpes symptoms are often triggered by stress and extensive exposure to sunlight, so making lifestyle changes can often help keep oral herpes symptoms at bay.
“I had a cold sore on my lip, so I ordered both an oral herpes test and genital herpes test from getSTDtested.com. I’m glad I did—testing for both strains at once saved me time and gave me added peace of mind.”
Posted By Pinpoint MD on Thursday, November 10, 2011 3:57:33 PM America/Chicago
Most people don’t need STD testing to know they have oral herpes. Many people have had cold sores—the most prominent symptom of oral herpes—since childhood. But since oral herpes can be transferred genitally during oral sex (and vice versa), STD testing can help determine which strain you have.
Posted By Pinpoint MD on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 4:21:00 PM America/Chicago
A whopping 50-80 percent of the U.S. population carries the virus that causes oral herpes, otherwise known as herpes simplex 1 (HSV1). For those who cringe when they feel a cold sore coming on – "cold sore" being the common name for an oral herpes outbreak - that number may surprise and oddly comfort.
Posted By Pinpoint MD on Thursday, November 10, 2011 2:01:28 PM America/Chicago
STD testing and oral herpes testing can diagnose those with HSV-1, the virus that causes oral herpes, in the absence of symptoms. Some people will remain asymptomatic forever despite a positive diagnosis through STD testing, while others might have one or two cold sores in their life.