$Unique_ID{PAR00100}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Herpes Simplex}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Herpes Simplex Multiple painful ulcers mucous membranes mouth ulcer
eye eyes eyeballs Painful swollen red gums lips Fever blisters Swollen lymph
nodes neck genitalia oral herpes triamcinolone local anesthetic ointments
antibiotic ointment birth canal delivery viral disease Herpesvirus hominis
direct contact recurrent virus virus diseases lowered resistance canker sores
sexually transmitted lesion genital lesions genitals birth defect defects lip
cheek cheeks tongue soft palate gumboils impetigo dental ointments solution
solutions}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Herpes Simplex


     Quick Reference

     POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS
     - Multiple painful ulcers on the mucous membranes of the mouth or on the
       eyeballs
     - Painful, swollen red gums
     - Fever blisters near the lips
     - Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
     - Fever
     - Painful ulcers and blisters on the genitalia

     HOME CARE
     - For oral (mouth area) herpes, give acetaminophen to relieve pain, and
       have the child eat bland foods.
     - An older child can rinse the mouth with a mild salt solution or be
       treated with triamcinolone or local anesthetic ointments.
     - Apply antibiotic ointment to fever blisters to prevent cracking and
       lessen the possibility of further infection.
     - For genital herpes, warm soaks help relieve inflammation and pain.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - In the case of herpes of the eyeball, consult an eye doctor promptly.
     - If a baby contracts herpes, get prompt medical attention.
     - Keep adults and children with herpes isolated from babies.
     - A pregnant woman with genital herpes can infect her child as the infant
       passes through the birth canal during delivery.


     Herpes simplex is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Herpesvirus
hominis, types 1 and 2.  The infection is transmitted by direct contact with
an infected person.  The disease is recurrent.  After the symptoms of the
initial attack have cleared up, the virus continues to live in the body in a
latent (inactive) state, usually for the person's lifetime.  When the person's
resistance is lowered (for instance, by fever, sunburn, exhaustion, or
emotional stress), the "sleeping" virus is reactivated.  This recurrent
condition is contagious each time it appears.
     Infection by the type 1 virus may occur as oral herpes (popularly known
as canker sores when evidence of infection is seen inside the mouth and fever
blisters when it appears on the mouth) or may affect the eyes.  Type 1
infection is common before the age of four, but can occur at any age.  An
attack usually lasts seven to ten days.
     Genital herpes is usually an infection by the type 2 virus.  It is most
often transmitted sexually when the lesions (blisters) are present on the
genitalia.  A baby born to a mother with genital herpes can contract the
disease while passing through the birth canal during delivery; in such a case,
there is about a 50 percent chance that the infant will have a severe birth
defect or die.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Oral herpes causes multiple painful ulcers of the mucous membranes and
skin in the mouth area (lips, cheeks, tongue, and soft palate).  Accompanying
signs are red, swollen gums and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.  The child's
fever may climb to 105 degrees_F.  Canker sores have a distinctive appearance
and are easily distinguished from other mouth sores, such as gumboils:  canker
sores are open, red ulcers with a scooped-out appearance, unlike gumboils,
which protrude above the surface of the membranes.  When oral herpes appears
as fever blisters, the blisters may be mistaken for impetigo (fever blisters
are usually more painful, however).  Fever blisters may also become infected
with impetigo.  Type 1 infection may also cause painful ulcers on the
eyeballs.  Genital herpes causes painful ulcers and blisters on the genitalia.

HOME CARE

     For oral herpes, give acetaminophen to relieve the pain.  Have the child
eat bland, soothing foods such as ice cream, gelatin desserts, puddings, and
milk.  Encourage an older child to rinse the mouth with a mild solution of
table salt.  Canker sores can be treated in older children with triamcinolone
in dental ointment form or with thick solutions of local anesthetic available
from the pharmacy.  Antibiotic ointment applied to fever blisters may prevent
painful cracking and lessen the chance that impetigo will develop.
     For genital herpes, warm soaks help relieve inflammation and pain.  There
is a drug that has been used by adults to lessen the severity of recurring
attacks, but this drug has not been tested in children.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Herpes simplex of the eyeball is serious and requires the immediate
     attention of an eye doctor.
  -  Herpes can be severe in an infant.  Adults and children with herpes
     should be kept away from a baby.  If a baby contracts herpes, consult a
     doctor.
  -  There is no cure for recurrent herpes.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     The doctor will probably prescribe eye drops to treat herpes of the
eyeball.  If a child with herpes has a severely ulcerated mouth,
hospitalization may be necessary so that intravenous fluids can be given until
the child can swallow normally again.
     A cesarean section (surgical delivery of an infant) may be performed in
the case of a pregnant woman with genital herpes because the baby might be
exposed to the disease during a vaginal delivery.

RELATED TOPICS:  Gumboils; impetigo