Herpes is defined as an infectious disease that causes painful spots on the skin especially on individual's face and sexual organs. The HSV or the Herpes Simplex Virus causes herpes. HSV is of two types- Type 1 and Type 2. Based on this Herpes 1 is distinguished from Herpes 2. Herpes 1 is mainly associated with fever, blister, and sores etc. while herpes 2 is understood to be genital infection. The type of herpes is detected by the symptoms and the nature of virus.

Type1 herpes is mainly a quiescent form of herpes. A person may be living with it since a long time but does not get to know due to no explicit perception of the disease. The type1 herpes is usually caused by contact with an infectious person. This contact leads to the transfer of germs from the infected to the healthy person via saliva, sexual contact, breath etc. So herpes type1 can afflict you through kissing, sharing used and unwashed utensils, sharing drinks and food with an infected person, weak immune system and from mothers to their children during pregnancy.

When this disease becomes active, the individual starts experiencing a itching, burning or reddening of the skin. Type1 herpes shows up at few places initially, spreads to other places gradually.

The outbreak of Type2 HSV is perceived in the genital regions. Again burning, itching and the like are the indicators of an eruption. The time of eruption varies from person to person. Some people might experience the spate just once a year while others may be afflicted by it twice or thrice a year at a specific time.

Besides the type1 and type2 of herpes, there is also another kind of herpes known as herpes zoster or shingles. The herpes zoster virus is deemed to be inherently sleeping in the DNA in the spinal nerve bundles of the individual who has suffered from chickenpox once in his lifetime. But shingle does not affect every such person. Those who have a vulnerable immune system are more likely to be caught by this disease.

When shingles attacks the person may undergo itching, blister or blister like sores with burning feeling around them, fever, weariness, body ache and tingling. While these outcomes are common with type1 and type2 herpes, loss of vision peculiarly belongs to shingles. Elderly people affected by shingles might experience neuralgia (a sharp pain felt along a nerve particularly in the head or brain) and lingering.

Prevention and Cures

Lot of research has been done on all forms of herpes. Thus, good medication is available for this disease. Treatment usually varies from the kind of HSV infection. Nowadays, the antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir, valacyclovir are very effective in controlling herpes. Many anti- inflammation ointments/ lotions etc. are prescribed to reduce the burning, irritation and heal the sores. Besides the drug therapies there are other steps involved in averting the threat of herpes. For instance maintenance of personal hygiene in terms of food, utensils and surroundings, careful and safe sex and last but not the least the building up of a strong immunity system via adopting a rich balanced diet.