How do you know when you are having a herpes outbreak?

What are the first signs of herpes? How do you know when a herpes outbreak is coming? It is very necesary for you to get facts about recognising a repeat outbreak. Pay attention to your body. People commonly report feeling a slight burning, itching. While recognizing a outbreak, you can know when the virus is active. During a recurrence, shortly before sores appear, you may feel:

know when your having a herpes outbreak

Burning, tingling and itching where the infection first entered your body
Pain in your lower back, buttocks and legs

For most of the time, herpes lies dormant in the body in the sacral ganglion at the base of the spine. (For some, herpes dormancy can last forever without ever having a visible outbreak, but be aware of viral shedding!) Since herpes uses the nerve pathways to travel from the spine to the surface of the skin, some people report cramps in the back of their legs before getting a herpes outbreak. When you become more knowledgeable about your own body, you can pick up on signals of an impending outbreak. Then you can be pro-active and take your anti-viral medication to avert the outbreak altogether.

However, recurrences are generally less painful than the original herpes outbreak, and sores generally heal more quickly.

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Get to know your herpes prodrome symptoms

What is herpes prodrome? A prodrome is a physical sensation that signals that the herpes virus may be starting its travels to the surface of your skin. It will generally manifest as itching, burning, and/or stinging anywhere from 30 minutes to two days before an actual herpes outbreak. The longer you have herpes, the less often this will occur as your body builds up more and more immunity against the virus. Get to know your body. Pay attention to what it’s saying to you. It will keep you more in tune with yourself and with your partner.

It’s important to get to know how your body is interacting with this virus. Getting to know your own body’s prodrome sensations will help you to take your herpes medication more strategically if you don’t want to take daily suppressive therapy (if you are doing episodic therapy, meaning only taking medication when you feel the prodrome sensations and/or during each herpes outbreak).

Another great reason to know your body and how your prodrome symptoms manifest is that it gives your partner another level of protection. Even if you take suppressive therapy and wear protection, there is still a chance of spreading herpes. Knowing your body and the signals it gives will allow you to avoid sexual contact during prodrome sensations. Your herpes-free partner will thank you for keeping them herpes-free.

Keep in mind, too, that herpes prodrome sensations won’t always manifest in an actual visible outbreak. That’s why they can be sneaky. It’s safe to assume that anytime you feel an itching, burning or pain in the general area where your herpes outbreaks occur that the virus is starting to wake up. And those sensations could be a signal that you are having a viral shedding occurrence (the herpes virus “silently/invisibly” sheds an average of 5-20% of the time, depending on the strain of herpes you have and whether it’s oral or genital).

how long does it take for herpes to show up after exposure

The first outbreak (also called the “first episode” or “initial herpes”) usually starts about 2 to 20 days after you get infected with herpes. But sometimes it takes years for the first outbreak to happen.

Recognizing The Signs and Symptoms of Repeat Outbreaks

The Signs and symptoms of recurrent outbreaks (when they occur) tend to be milder and heal much more quickly than the first herpes outbreak. If the first episode produced fairly mild symptoms, then subsequent recurrences will not usually increase in severity. But, as noted earlier, when genital herpes recurs after a first episode, it doesn’t always cause recognizable signs and symptoms.

Some people have recurrent outbreaks with the so-called “classic” blister-like herpes lesions that crust over, or with painful sores. In recurrent herpes, however, this process usually takes about half the time it does in first episodes. In addition, many people have very subtle forms of recurrent herpes that heal up in a matter of days. And lastly, herpes is capable of reactivating without producing any visible lesions (asymptomatic reactivation).

Much of the broad description of herpes “lesions” included above applies to recurrent herpes as well. Lesions may take the form of something resembling:

a red spot
a pimple
an ingrown hair
razor burn
hemorrhoids
insect bite

There’s quite a variety, in short. And while genital herpes certainly can and does cause these signs of infection literally on the genitals (the penis or the vulva) it also can produce signs of infection nearby. Herpes sores on or between the buttocks are common (and sometimes slow to heal), as are lesions on the thigh. Herpes can bring about what feels like a tiny fissure around the anus, something easily confused with hemorrhoids. So remember: recurring signs and symptoms in the genital or anal area could well be herpes lesions.

But what if you don’t see any lesions nor have other symptoms? In some studies, people with herpes were completely unaware of lesions about one-third of the time that the virus was found to be active in the genital area. While recognizing lesions and other symptoms is important, this cannot always tell you when the virus is active.

The cycle of the herpes outbreak

An outbreak of herpes has a progression of blister development and healing. The herpes stages includes serveral stages. Contiue to read the stages of a herpes outbreak and know what causes herpes flare ups..

What causes herpes flare ups?

Some of the following factors may trigger genital herpes symptoms. Sexual intercourse, surgery, weak immune system and more. Read potential herpes triggers.

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