The Different Stages of Herpes
The stages of herpes are very important for you to learn if you are one who suffers from the virus. The more you understand, the better you will be able to handle the outbreaks as they come.
Not everyone experiences this virus in the same way, but it does follow general stages.
Some people feel flu like symptoms at first. They may not even realize their illness is as a direct result of herpes! Not everyone experiences this stage, so just be extra careful if you have herpes and feel like you may be getting the flu.
To start off, you may develop redness in a certain area of your skin. This area can become quite itchy and even sore to the touch. Additionally, the area may begin to swell.
This early stage is sometimes not even noticed by the person who is having the outbreak. As they become more and more common, you will get to know the signs your body is giving you.
Then, the area may start to develop small blisters. These blisters may be filled with fluid. They can also be quite painful. When the blisters get full enough, they may burst and become like ulcers.
They scab over, which may make you want to peel off the scab. Do not do this! Scabs are there for a reason. While this is not one of the most pleasant stages of herpes, it is essential.
As these scabs get harder and harder, new skin grows right underneath the scabby area. If you’ve peeled the scab off this skin doesn’t have the same chance to grow.
Herpes lesions often heal over with no visible scarring. If you peel and pick at the scabs, they may leave a scar. Since you may get herpes outbreaks for the rest of your life, the last thing you need is a collection of scars from every outbreak you’ve ever had!
The best thing for you to do is learn the signs your body is giving you. If you catch an outbreak during the early stages of herpes, you will have an easier time with it.
You’ll also want to know the signs of herpes because you are more likely to pass the virus to others if you are having or are about to have an outbreak.
The stages of herpes are certainly not pleasant. But, the more you learn about them, the better chance you have at treating the virus. It is possible to have a normal life with herpes if you do your best to learn all you can.
That was very helpful. I was rape and got herpes and i thought my life was mess up i was even thinking about killing myself. But this was very helpful. Thanks.
I have had the virus for a year; I’ve only had outbreaks two times; the initial time and one time after. I wasn’t sure that I had it for sure until I got tested a second time. I feel like I will be single for the rest of my life; I’m a bad role model for my daughter and my life would be better if it were to end.
This has helped me figure out the symptoms to on set; even though some of the symptoms I’ve never had; such as the scabbing and bursting blister; I’ve just had the redness and the soreness; and it’s always one sore. I don’t know how to move on with my life; do you have any suggestions?
Does everyone experience the scab stage, cause i never get that far.. only up to bumps present. then it goes away.
@Sarah: At least 50% of my outbreaks do not experience the scab stage. Many of my outbreaks are a cluster of blisters that are more like a rash in that they are definitely a herpes outbreak but do not break and are never open. The single herpes blister is the worst for me. It seems to be deeper in the membrane/tissue, contains fluid, scabs and takes longer to heal. These single blisters occur for me after extreme stress.
Good luck!
Nanci
your life will go on. I just recently found out i had it, met a new guy, and he has no problem with it at all!!
i have red bumps in my genital.. its like herpes but its not like with a yellow in the middle of it.. its not itchy.. is HERPES so dangerous? hmm.. im afriad.. herpes is incurable!!.. only the red bumps i have… is that totally a HERPES? guys?
i think i might have herpes, for the past few days ive had a itchy red area right above the base of my penis. i had sex with a new partner unprotected like 4 months ago and this is the first thing that i have noticed. but all the things ive read said that the beakouts happen within the first month. Is there any one who’s outbreaks have taken longer than 3 months to occur?
im not sure if i have herpes but i have theses stange bumps around the head of my penis and get cold sores every now and then does this mean i have herpes?
and please someone awnser me cuz im clueless right now and scared for my partner
how do u no u have an outbreak cuz i think my gf might of got it
@ J and Dante and Jun: You really should get tested to know for sure. Dante, herpes can stay dormant for quite a while…I think i got my first outbreak two months after unprotected sex and i didn’t have any symptoms of herpes except 3 tiny bumps and a very slight itch. They didn’t hurt at all, i didn’t have flu-like symptoms, there was no smell, etc. They only reason I noticed the bumps was because I randomly decided to check myself out.
I was just diagnosed about 1 day ago and I feel horrible about myself. I don’t know how to tell my boyfriend. I’m so scared. He told me he loved me just recently too. I don’t want to ruin a good thing, but I think this will. How do I tell him? And I don’t really know how to feel okay with having herpes. I feel disgusted with myself and everytime someone tells me that I am pretty or beautiful, I think to myself, “You wouldn’t say that if you knew the truth.” How do I get over this frame of mind? I know this sounds horrible, but I feel like an outsider now, an outsider that will never fall in love.
I know how you feel. I have had it for 5 yrs and Im still not ok with it. I always feel like its a bomb that will eventually blow up in my face. The thing that scares me 2nd most in life is to find out I ever end up giving it to someone else. I finally had a girl I totally digged and thought we had crazy chemistry freak out when I told her. Pretty much stopped everything in its track. It’s funny. Every girl since I got it never seemed to have a problem and I always try to be as careful as possible but when I meet one I totally dig, she bails. Now Im just so scared of trying to meet anyone because I know I will have to have “that” conversation eventually. I always am self conscious now. I always feel there’s something wrong with me. Now I am so afraid of trying to put myself out there..
the best way to think of it is to put it all in perspective…the bare bones of it, herpes is just a tiny little bug, if a boy breaks up with you over that, than it really shows how shallow he really is, and NOT someone who you want in your life. i know it sounds a bit strange, but remember that everything in life has a reason for happening, it may be hard to accept that herpes is a “blessing” but it may keep you from dating someone who ends up giving you aids (much worse than herpes!) anything like that, just think about it, and be grateful that all you have is herpes and not cancer, and not blindness, and not any life threatening disease.
when it comes down to it.
herpes is a little bug
and it wont rule your life.
i mean seriously! you think i am going to let some little microorganism keep me from someone i love? everything happens for a reason. thats all there is to it. be calm, and live.
I recwently found out I have herpes and was wondering if anyone through experience has found something to help preventing or shortening breakouts… I think I’m making it worse with hot water but it is so itchy!
I was 5 monthes pregnant with my twins, when my boyfriend of two years infected me. I asked him why didn’t you tell me. He said he didn’t know that he was infected. He said he had two outbreaks but didn’t know what it was. I asked my doctor how I could be with this man for 2 years without being infected. He said it is possible if he was dormant and had no outbreaks. I knew right away when I was infected. It pysically made me sick for a week. I had a fever and every bone in my body hurt. It felt like a fire down there for a 2 weeks. I went to the er where I was treated with topical jel for the blisters and valtrax. The valtrax helped me through the first outbreak but if I didn’t taking the medicine everyday it made me have more outbreaks. I stopped taking the medicine about a year after I had my children. Since then my body has got the virus under control itself. This is 5 years out. Over time your virus will go dormant when your body gets it under control. I starting and stopping and starting and stopping the valtrax medicine makes it worse. This is a hard thing to deal with but life goes on. Their are understanding people out there.
I contracted herpes when I was 18, and I am now 24. For 4 of those years I had painful outbreaks at least every month and felt like my world had ended.
For the last 2 years I’ve been free from any symptoms and outbreaks and I see things so much differently now.
Herpes is insignificant. So many people have it and even more have it and don’t even know about it.
They way I look at it is that ppl leave clinics being told they have much much worse, herpes can be treated with the right knowledge and you’ll still be able to have kids.
I set up a blog discussing how I eventually got over my outbreaks. Please check it out and leave any comments. thank you L x