Did Cheating give you Herpes?
Let’s talk about herpes because you probably have it.
Don’t start denying it, 70-90% of the population is positive for carrying HSV-1 and that is just one variation of the virus. But how did you catch it?
Many people think herpes is purely an STD (sexually transmitted disease) but that’s not true. Yes, it’s usually transmitted via mucous membranes but that can be just as well your mouth. Did your mom ever kiss you on the mouth as a kid? Ever spat on a tissue to clean something off your face? Congratulations, that’s how you got it.
Of course, it’s not the only way, of course, it can be transmitted sexually. But don’t break up with your partner because you suddenly have genital herpes and think they gave it to you. Why? Because herpes is a pretty mean virus. It hides.
When the herpes virus has successfully entered the body, it likes to use neurons (cells of your nervous system) as a host. Those neurons don’t have MHC on their surface (click here to read why that’s so important) so the body’s immune cells don’t notice something is wrong. @suesa
The herpes virus can stay inside a neuron for a long, long time. Decades even! It just sits around inside the cell’s nucleus and does absolutely nothing. Until something causes it to start its replication cycle, be it extreme stress or a suppressed immune system (after an organ transplant for example).
Then, the herpes virus prevents the cell from killing itself (= apoptosis), inhibits the immune system’s reaction and generally shuts off the cell’s own protein production. The result is a visible herpes outbreak. The blisters that can be seen on a patient’s skin contain a plethora of viruses, just waiting to be transferred to another host.
Don’t kiss someone who has a visible herpes blister. Don’t kiss someone if you have a herpes blister. And avoid oral sex too, please.
The variety of herpes viruses is huge. Did you know chickenpox is technically herpes? It’s also called varicella and can, just as any other herpes virus, hide in your body and come back as a nasty disease, especially when you’re already over 50.
Kissing disease (infectious mononucleosis)? It’s caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as human herpesvirus 4. Many are infected as children without symptoms but the virus is suspected to cause Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
So is there a cure? A treatment? A vaccine?
Well … yes and no.
Just as HIV, herpes is not a simple disease, especially because there is more than one form.
Obviously, you can just avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms, but that might not always protect you.
Medication like Acyclovir can be used as a therapy during a herpes outbreak and is usually given to pregnant women with a fresh herpes infection. Why? Because if the child is infected during birth, there is a 50% chance it will die horribly.
There is a vaccination against chickenpox and I recommend it to everyone who didn’t have the disease as a child. Considering that the virus will persist, even when the symptoms have vanished, I’d even recommend it for children but that’s a personal choice. I was vaccinated against it when I turned 16 because a chickenpox infection is something really nasty to have when you’re older.
And for the rest?
Well … Good luck.
Source:
Lecture “Herpesviruses” by Professor Friedrich Grässer
Picture taken from pixabay.com, sketch by me
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Great article
I've been going through your content during past few days and I'm always learning something new. We need more content creators like you :D. Seems like this herpes issue is going to be pretty hard to avoid, is it just fine not to worry about it too much or should I be wary?
no ideea what to avoid prefer to have fun :)))
And the third time I'm trying to comment this....
There isn't much you can do. Avoid kissing and (oral) sex with people who have visible blisters. If you didn't have it as a child, get vaccinated against chickenpox. That's basically it.
Thanks a lot for the dedication for those of us who don't read read all the other comments :P
Oh no! The "and the third time" remark was referring to the fact that steemit failed to send the comment several times. I was frustrated with the platform, not you!
:)) better than other posibilities .
This is one of those really unfair facts of nature. I have a couple of family members that at some point were undergoing a sort of life crisis, and on top of that they had to deal with the mother of all sudden herpes flare outs that seemingly came out of nowhere (they didn't even know they had it, must have been dormant for decades).
Literally, to add injury to insult... :-(
Herpes Zoster, i think you are referring to, AKA Shingles.
Can I ask this question? So if you had chickenpox does that mean you have the herpes virus in your body?
Chicken pox is caused by Human Herpes Virus Type 3, also known as the varicella-zoster virus. There are eight herpes subtypes that each have different health implications - classically, type 1 & 2 are sexually transmitted but types 4 and 5 (which are the causes of good ol' fashion mono can be transmitted through saliva). When you're infected with the virus as a child (chickenpox) your body will develop immunity to it and the virus will retreat into the nerve cells in your back. Each of these nerve cells supply the sensation to bands of skin called "dermatomes" that warp around your torso and chest. Later in life the virus can reactivate in times of stress or depressed immunity and travel away to the ends of these nerves close to the surface of the skin where they erupt into painful blistering lesions we call zoster, or Shingles. The band-like pattern the lesions appear on indicates which spinal nerve the virus was hiding in. By the way, there's a vaccine for shingles that may be given to adults over 60 years old and some over 50, and you don't need to have a history of chicken pox or shingles to receive it.
One kind of herpes virus, yes. There are several.
is not just around the mouth ?
Nope
Hey good post :)
The steemster will give you as simple explanation. A doctor told me that stress produces the outbreak. The stress effects the body in such a way that it is more vulnerable. He also said if you eat a certain type of healthy diet to maintain your immune system, then you will NEVER have an outbreak even under stress.
" But don’t break up with your partner because you suddenly have genital herpes and think they gave it to you. "
Wish I knew this before killing my ex
lol... thats not fair at all
Thanks for the article. No one ever really talks about Herpes unless they have it or are forced because their partner has it. Super insightful.
I usually don't click on STD themed articles, but this one really got my attention. The extended dormancy was something new to me. What a double whammy for it to be triggered during an extreme episode in life. As if life didn't kick ya' down the steps already.
I still remember the sweet day when this one girl told me to come over so she could give me her pies.
It was a good day though, didn't get any pie.
You could say their his pies now ;)
That's right. I'm a man, I don't need herpies. I can have hispies! Or as the fancy professsors say, hispes.
This seriously stirred everything I hold within...
(Did you know chickenpox is technically herpes? It’s also called varicella and can, just as any other herpes virus, hide in your body and come back as a nasty disease, especially when you’re already over 50)
I won't lie I held my breath when I read those words until you cleared me with being vaccinated! Lol. Thank you for the science lesson :)
Every time I learn a little more science, I'm more amazed that anyone's alive at all.