According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five American adults is infected with the herpes simplex virus. A herpes outbreak may last for up to six weeks. The beginning symptoms of herpes are often different from later symptoms.
Prodrome
The onset of a herpes outbreak almost always begins with a prodrome, or precursor stage, characterized by pain, tingling and burning in the area where the lesions later appear. The prodrome, says the CDC, may begin two hours or up to two days before other symptoms appear. During the primary outbreak, patients are usually unaware that they have contracted herpes and may not recognize prodromal symptoms.
Constitutional Symptoms
According to a 2005 article in the journal American Family Physician, approximately 80 percent of people with herpes report constitutional symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, lack of appetite and malaise at the beginning of an outbreak. Constitutional symptoms usually resolve before skin symptoms. During the initial outbreak, these symptoms may be severe and many people mistake them for influenza. Constitutional symptoms usually become progressively milder with recurrent outbreaks.
Skin Lesions
Herpes skin lesions usually begin as small red bumps that are often mistaken for pimples, ingrown hairs, jock itch, insect bites or yeast infections, according to the American Social Health Association. Later, these lesions develop into painful fluid-filled blisters or superficial erosions, scab over and ultimately heal without scarring. Scabbed lesions are usually very itchy.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Genital Herpes
- American Social Health Association
- American Family Physician; Genital Herpes: A Review; J.G. Beauman; Oct 15 2005
