The incubation period of herpes: timing and what affects it.

What affects the duration of incubation of herpes

Patients often ask questions about what affects the incubation period of herpes in the intimate area or other areas of the human body.
There are a large number of factors that can either lengthen the reproduction period of viral particles or significantly shorten it.

Doctors usually consider:

age characteristics - everyone knows that infants and older people have weaker immune systems
environmental conditions - everything that can contribute to a decrease in immunity (staying in a draft, prolonged exposure to the cold, etc.) can lead to a shortening of the period of time from entering the body to the development of a full-fledged disease
stress also affects the immune system, which can lead to a shorter period of time

Naturally, adherence to proper nutrition, leading a healthy lifestyle, giving up bad habits and a number of other recommendations can increase incubation.

Moreover, in some cases, the virus may never lead to the development of a full-fledged disease, remaining dormant in the body.

Herpes viruses: what you need to know about them and whether you can protect yourself from infection

Briefly: 70 to 90% of the population is infected with herpes viruses. Only children under 3-5 years of age are healthy, due to rare contacts with adults; as soon as the child begins to attend kindergarten or school, he becomes infected within a short period.

Are herpes viruses dangerous: for healthy people they do not pose a particular threat, a person outside of exacerbations is not contagious, isolation is required only during exacerbations. They become dangerous for people at risk.

Healthy heart

Functional examination methods, laboratory and other types of diagnostics, selected specifically taking into account age, general health and individual characteristics, allow you to get a complete picture of the health of the cardiovascular system in 1-2 days without unnecessary time and financial expenses.

Is there a treatment: there is no specific treatment today, so do not believe promises to cure herpes. A vaccine is currently being developed that should help fight herpes. Research is underway in the field of gene therapy. And the existing vaccine “Vitogerpovac” only stimulates a specific reaction of antiviral immunity in general, enhancing the immune response, in particular the activity of lymphocytes.

In short: you can live happily ever after with the herpes virus. And now in more detail: how many herpes viruses exist, how they differ and who is at risk.

Question #1: Is it true that HSV type 1 is a common cold, and HSV type 2 is a genital cold?

Previously, it was believed that HSV 1 only causes colds on the lips and other mucous membranes, and HSV 2 is the culprit of rashes on the genitals. No, that's not true. Viruses of both types feel great on any mucous membrane. In other words: oral sexual activity during an exacerbation of herpes on the lips of one partner will lead to infection of the other.

Other herpes viruses

Type 3 virus causes chickenpox and shingles. Most often, at the first meeting in childhood, chickenpox occurs, and at an older age, with weakened immunity and other diseases, symptoms of herpes zoster appear. And, the more weakened the immune system, the more frequent and severe the relapses.

Type 4 Epstein-Barr virus causes infectious mononucleosis, most often transmitted through kissing. The peculiarity of this type of virus is that it prefers to live and reproduce in one cell. By making her “immortal,” he actually provokes oncological processes. Thus, the Epstein-Barr virus was discovered while studying Burkitt's lymphoma. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is also closely related to herpetic exacerbations. Don’t kiss your children on the lips; that’s what their cheeks, foreheads, hands are for, and in extreme cases, their heels.

Virus type 5 or cytomegalovirus . Its maximum concentration is in urine and saliva; children in kindergartens are often infected due to insufficient hygiene skills. Basically, it is a fairly peaceful type of herpes and the initial encounter goes away like a common cold and there are no further relapses. Dangerous only for weakened people, pregnant women and HIV-infected people. There is evidence that it may increase the risks of hypertension and atherosclerosis, type 1 diabetes.

Types 6, 7 and 8 of herpes viruses are poorly studied, most likely they are the culprits of chronic fatigue syndrome and unclear rash syndrome. It is known that herpes virus 6A is common in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Important : a person poses the greatest danger during primary infection; later, during periods of exacerbation, the risk of infection is much lower. However, in many people the disease manifests itself only once. And the larger the area of the rash, the worse the immune system works. There is another feature of herpes viruses - it only affects skin and epithelial cells. Typically, relapse occurs at the same site where the initial infection occurred.

Risk factors (or what triggers relapse):

Temperature fluctuations and sudden climate changes are why herpes often appears in the off-season and after flights.
Overheating and solar insolation (for people who are susceptible to frequent relapses, it is better not to sunbathe, avoid visiting baths and saunas
Emotional stress (breakup, interview, exam)
Physical overexertion (intense physical labor or sports)
Local injuries, surgeries, skin damage
Disturbances in the rhythms of life: lack of sleep, fasting or overeating, large amounts of alcohol on the menu.

Herpes is often triggered by menstruation, appearing either on the lips or like herpes zoster, but in the lower back and buttocks.

What is the danger of herpes viruses

Previously, it was believed that a herpetic rash was only an aesthetic defect, and a healthy person need not fear for his condition. Not at all. The herpes virus lives in nervous tissues; the connection between most chronic diseases of the nervous system and viruses has already been proven - Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and others. There is a close connection between liver damage and herpes viruses - the fact is that some viruses are imperfect and can only penetrate a cell that is already infected by another virus. That is, at the time of relapse of herpes, a person is more susceptible to other viral infections. It has already been proven that the herpes virus is often to blame for infertility of couples - it affects sperm, although both the man and the woman are reproductively healthy - pregnancy does not occur.

The main danger of herpes viruses: they activate and increase the likelihood of infection with other viruses, which in turn reactivate herpes, starting the process of constant relapses. In particular, such a relationship has been confirmed between the herpes viruses and HIV. This phenomenon is called epidemiological synergism, that is, herpes practically opens the gates to other viruses.

That is, even groups of relatively healthy people who do not have frequent relapses cannot be safe. Today, a connection has been identified between the presence of herpetic complications and certain genes.

Who is at risk or who is more likely to experience relapses and severe herpetic complications:

Patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies (for many of them, herpes infection can become fatal, becoming generalized).
Pregnant women (firstly, the woman herself is more susceptible to infection, and any illness during pregnancy is less tolerated, and secondly, there is a risk of herpetic damage to the fetus and congenital anomalies).
Premature babies, newborns with developmental defects or low birth weight
Patients receiving chemotherapy, taking drugs for the treatment of autoimmune and oncological diseases, antibiotics.
Patients with bacterial pneumonia.
Donors immediately after donation, people after blood loss and immediately after transfusion of blood and/or its components.
Persons who have frequent promiscuous sex life (lack of a condom, low degree of its protection against herpes, if the virus affects the skin, the high contagiousness of the virus contributes to its rapid spread)
People with tuberculosis, atopy, connective tissue diseases.
Patients after surgical interventions - often herpes worsens even after cosmetic and dental procedures, since the nerve cells in which herpes lives are injured.
Patients after organ transplantation.
People over 65 years of age.
People of certain professions: laboratory assistants, virologists, astronauts, miners, radiologists, dentists, pilots, coal industry workers, etc.

Symptoms and treatment

Symptoms of exacerbation can manifest themselves in different ways: from completely insignificant (when there is only a single element) to complicated - with a rise in temperature to high numbers, symptoms of intoxication. It is important which herpes virus caused the disease or complication. Now we are talking about the classical forms of HSV 1 and HSV 2.

You need to understand that regardless of the symptoms, at this moment you are very contagious and elderly people, patients with immunodeficiencies who happen to be nearby can receive their dose of the virus. At the same time, if you or your loved ones are at risk, then it is better to protect yourself and wear sterile masks.

During an exacerbation, avoid cosmetics and creams - along with them, you “smear” the virus over the skin and mucous membranes.
Do not touch your eyes and other mucous membranes - this will lead to infection (be sure to wash your hands before using the toilet, eyes and genitals).
Change towels, or better yet, use disposable ones.
Drink only from your own glassware, wash it separately or in the dishwasher
Do not peel off the crusts or burst the bubbles.
Use products for external use - they soften the skin well and promote rapid healing.

If there are symptoms of intoxication, high fever, herpetic rashes, call a doctor at home.

How to test yourself for herpes viruses

If you are over 18, you are most likely already infected. You can get tested for antibodies, do PCR diagnostics, an increase in immunoglobulins, of course, is also an indicator - but they increase in response to almost any infection.

What should I do if I am infected?

We said above that if you are over 18, then most likely you are infected. The main thing is not to fall into risk groups, avoid provoking factors, and lead a healthy lifestyle. You can make an appointment with an immunologist and check the risks of cancer and other pathologies for which a gene-disease relationship has already been identified, and follow the news to be the first to know when a cure for herpes is found.

You can undergo such diagnostic examinations at our center named after. Speransky. Our doctors adhere to the rule: the main thing is to preserve the health and natural strength of the body, and not to heal the patient until, according to tests, everything is perfect.

Effect of pregnancy on virus incubation

Often, women who are in the period of bearing a child ask their attending physicians about how the incubation of herpes changes during pregnancy.

It is quite difficult to predict changes in this case.

On the one hand, the body does everything to protect the woman herself, as well as her unborn baby, from negative external influences, including viral particles.

On the other hand, pregnancy is a condition of a woman’s body, accompanied by severe immunosuppression.

Otherwise, bearing a fetus would simply be impossible.

Often it is immunosuppression that prevails in the female body.

As a result, the length of time it takes herpes from entering the body to developing symptoms is significantly shortened. It is also worth considering that herpes is quite capable of penetrating the placenta, leading to infection of the child.

Sometimes it leads to the development of congenital pathologies of varying severity.

Main symptoms of the disease

Herpes zoster mainly occurs on the body. At first it looks like pink spots. Soon they quickly become inflamed, turn red, and become covered with small blisters with transparent contents. Over time, the spots dry out and become crusty, and later they fall off.

The disease is characterized by severe attacks of pain, which can worsen at night.

Other signs of the disease:

temperature rises to 39°C;
painful rashes;
headache;
trembling and coldness in the body;
runny nose (in children).

The influence of HIV infection on the incubation period of herpes

Another common question is how the duration of incubation changes during HIV infection.

There is nothing surprising in such a question.

After all, the human immunodeficiency virus is becoming increasingly common in medical practice today.

Much in this case depends on how strongly the patient’s immunity is suppressed.

For example, if a patient regularly takes HIV medications and his lymphocyte levels remain normal, the incubation period may remain within the standard range.

If the patient ignores the doctor’s recommendations and refuses medications, the level of his defense system drops to catastrophic levels.

The result is predictable: the period of time is greatly shortened.

The disease makes itself felt much earlier than if HIV were controlled or completely absent from the body.

Prevention

Disease prevention – strengthening the immune system:

healthy lifestyle;
hardening;
regular physical activity;
proper nutrition;
proper rest, sleep.

Despite the fact that water procedures during the treatment of herpes zoster are contraindicated, the complication of the disease is caused by poor hygiene. Therefore, it is important:

avoid taking hot baths - prefer a warm, short shower;
exclude washcloths, cosmetics and anything that can irritate the skin;
just blot the inflamed areas;
use 2 towels - one for healthy skin, the other for infected skin (change daily).

If the disease progresses, you should limit yourself to wet wipes, and do not wet the damaged skin. When the ulcers turn into crusts, you can take a shower.

In any case, treatment is prescribed individually and exclusively by a doctor.

IMPORTANT:

Self-medication can aggravate the disease and provoke life-threatening consequences.

Which doctor will help if herpes infection cannot be avoided?

Which doctor should I contact if I still couldn’t avoid a collision with the disease and there is a suspicion of incubation?

This is a very popular question among patients.

This is not surprising, because different types of herpes can be dealt with by different specialists.

If a person has signs of the genital form of the disease, it is worth visiting a venereologist first.

This doctor will be able to prescribe the necessary tests and give recommendations for therapy.

If you suspect infection with the labial form, you can go to a dermatologist, infectious disease specialist, or just a general practitioner.

Any of these doctors will be able to treat the infection using a variety of medications.

Everything is more complicated with the shingles form of the disease.

In this case, it is necessary to contact infectious disease specialists.

They may even decide that the patient needs to be admitted to hospital.

What and how is genital herpes treated?

Answer:

Treatment of this infection, like other diseases, should begin with a consultation with a doctor - only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis, assess the condition of a particular patient and choose treatment, taking into account contraindications and side effects of medications.

In recent years, therapy for infections of the reproductive system is almost impossible without the prescription of drugs that increase the body’s own defenses, that is, stimulate the immune system.

The most studied and well-proven immunostimulant in clinical practice is the original domestic drug Cycloferon . Its active ingredient is methylglucamine acridone acetate (a soluble synthetic analogue of the alkaloid of the Citrus grandis

) – stimulates the body’s production of its own interferons, thereby enhancing the nonspecific immune response and reducing the susceptibility of cells to the virus.

In the treatment of genital herpes, the best effect is achieved by combining the use of Cycloferon tablets orally and applying Cycloferon liniment (liquid ointment) locally to the area of the rash. In addition to methylglucamine acridone acetate, liniment contains the antiseptic benzalkonium, which prevents the complication of herpes by a secondary purulent bacterial infection.

The decision to prescribe Cycloferon should be made by a doctor

, however, the lack of toxicity and allergenicity allows you to use the prescribed drug independently. Since Cycloferon is compatible with all medications, it can be used as part of complex therapy.

What tests will help detect infection during the incubation period?

Tests during the incubation period, as doctors note, are particularly difficult.

This is due to the fact that viral infections are already difficult to diagnose.

If we are talking about the incubation period, everything becomes even more difficult.

You should immediately forget about such popular and simple methods as microscopy and smear culture.

Of course, seeding is performed in some laboratories with special conditions, but it is more for research purposes.

The most reliable options are ELISA and PCR.

Moreover, as doctors note, PCR usually provides more information, which in itself is more reliable. This is due to the fact that the technique does not detect traces of a pathogenic microorganism in the blood, but detects it itself.

However, it is worth considering that PCR also has limitations.

If at the time of examination there are not enough viral particles in the body (the threshold value is below the detectable value), then the analysis will be false negative.

Routes of infection

More than 90% of the world's population are carriers of the herpes simplex virus. By the age of 30-40, almost 100% of people encounter it. Once infected with herpes, a person remains a carrier of the virus for the rest of his life. The infection is always transmitted from person to person, and the greatest probability of infection occurs during the acute phase of the disease, but it remains possible when it is asymptomatic. That is, you can get the herpes simplex virus from a carrier even if he does not have visible lesions on the skin and other symptoms of the disease. Type I herpes is found in saliva and other biological fluids of the body, so pathogens can be acquired through airborne droplets (by coughing, sneezing) or through household contact (by shaking hands, kissing, through shared utensils and hygiene items). A baby can also become infected with herpes from the mother while still in the womb, during childbirth, or while breastfeeding. With an adequately functioning immune system, some time after infection, the virus disappears from tissues and internal organs, but continues to persist in sensitive nerve fibers, making a person its lifelong carrier.

Features of preventing herpes after infection

Patients who think they are in the incubation period will certainly ask the doctor a question.

What to do to ensure that the disease does not develop fully, but remains in a dormant state.

There really aren't many options.

Firstly, the effectiveness of prevention with Valvir and Valtrex has been proven.

These drugs are taken orally in tablet form and can inhibit the activity of viral particles.

The main thing is to take them according to the doctor-recommended regimen.

However, herpes is a virus that cannot be gotten rid of once and for all.

Today such drugs simply do not exist.

Therefore, for example, the PCR reaction may remain positive during diagnostic examinations.

Doctors additionally note that you should not rely only on medications.

Measures must be taken to increase the overall level of immunity.

To do this, they use immunostimulants, lead a healthy lifestyle, follow a light diet, and engage in physical activity.

Methods of treating the disease

Herpes zoster on the face and other areas is treated on an outpatient basis. Inpatient treatment is required only for the generalized form, as well as complications.

The peculiarity of therapy is its complexity - taking antiviral and immunostimulating medications.

Therapy involves relieving intoxication and pain, preventing the progression of infection. For secondary bacterial infections, antibiotics are used. To relieve rashes, use brilliant green and 5% dermatol ointment locally. If the process is sluggish, the doctor may prescribe metacil ointment or solcoseryl.

For herpes zoster on the neck or other areas, physiotherapeutic procedures are also sometimes prescribed.

Diet is important for the effectiveness of therapy. Exclude from the diet:

fat meat;
animal fats;
spicy foods.

What to do if herpes incubation takes a very long time

Doctors have long noticed that not all patients develop herpes according to the standard pattern.

This fact further complicates treatment during the incubation period.

It is worth keeping in mind: if the patient has a strong body, an active immune system, symptoms of the disease may not appear for a very, very long time.

Do you need to worry if there are no symptoms of the disease, although they should be, since infection has definitely occurred?

Until rashes begin to appear, the patient can be calm about his health.

Herpes is not an infection that undermines the body unnoticed.

Its symptoms are quite vivid and difficult to ignore.

If there are no symptoms, then the virus is dormant and does not pose a threat to the body.

Since it is completely impossible to remove a pathogenic microorganism from the body, all that remains is to make efforts to prevent it from becoming more active.

How to relieve pain from shingles

The main symptom of herpes zoster, which distinguishes it from other infectious diseases with skin manifestations, is pain, which can occur both before the rash appears and after it has healed. For pain relief, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

A common complication of herpes zoster is postherpetic neuralgia, a severe pain syndrome that lasts at least 120 days. Pain can bother a person for several months and even years after recovery. Postherpetic neuralgia develops mainly in older people - for example, about 50% of cases are recorded in patients over 60 years of age.