What is Herpes?
Herpes is a very common viral infection and one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. If you have ever had a cold sore then you already have herpes and you will probably have it for the rest of your life because there is no known cure at the present time.
If you have herpes you should be aware that you are not alone, one in six adults have genital herpes. It is estimated that over 80 million Americans have herpes of one form or another.
There are over 80 variations of the herpes virus that have been identified, only eight of them are responsible for the disease in humans. The most common of these is the HSV-1 and HSV-2 mentioned above. A couple of other common herpes viruses that affect humans includes chickenpox (varicella zoster) and shingles (herpes zoster).
What Causes Herpes?
Herpes is caused by a virus that may have been dormant in your body for many years. Anyone who has had chickenpox probably already has the dormant form of the virus.
There are two main types of the virus. The first is Simplex Type 1 or (HSV-1) which causes Cold Sores. This virus, in its dormant state hides in nerves near the ear and usually cause cold sores on the lower lip. In rare cases they can cause damage to the eyes including causing blindness.
The second is Simplex Type 2 or (HSV-2) which is responsible for Genital Herpes. This virus in its dormant state hides in the nerves at the base of the spine and outbreaks are usually contained to the genital area.
Both types look nearly identical when viewed with a powerful microscope and both types can infect both the mouth and the genital area, HSV-1 is most often responsible with cold sores and HSV-2 is most often responsible for genital herpes. Both types are highly contagious.
Herpes differs from most sexually transmitted diseases in that it is able to hide dormant in your body, possibly for many years before becoming active.
