subject: Common Symptoms of Female Herpes [print this page] Common Symptoms of Female Herpes Common Symptoms of Female Herpes
Female symptoms herpes exhibits are not always visible, sometimes making it difficult to detect. In fact, up to two thirds of women with herpes never notice any signs. Herpes cannot be cured, but if the symptoms can be recognized when they do appear it can be identified and controlled so it does not spread.
Early Warnings
Before any severe or visible symptoms appear a woman will often feel a tingling, itching, or uncomfortable sensation around the genital area. The consistency and smell of the vaginal discharge may also change. However, these warnings often go unnoticed or ignored because they are mild, and could be associated with something else such as a yeast infection or temporary irritation from allergy or simply a slight rash. In some cases, signs may not progress beyond this stage and, if uninformed, one may remain unaware of the presence of the virus.
Visual Symptoms
The most well-known sign of herpes is genital warts. These bumps resemble acne or boils and are not limited to the area right around the vagina. They can affect the entire genital area, including the buttocks and the thighs. If severe enough they can even spread internally up to the uterus. Scratching or touching them can easily spread them to even more parts of the body through skin contact. These sores are often painful to the touch, making one experience a burning or stabbing sensation on contact. Sometimes burning is also felt when urinating.
Accompanying Signs
Because herpes is a virus, it often comes with other symptoms as the body works to fight it off. These include fever, backache, headache, or general flu-like symptoms. Glands in the groin area can also swell, causing pressure and discomfort in the abdominal region, much like the lymph nodes in the neck can swell during respiratory or throat infections. Many of these symptoms can vary greatly in severity depending on the individual, and can be easily mistaken for another kind of common virus of any variety, especially as symptoms flare up and disappear instead of remaining constant.
Outbreaks
Unlike many other sexually transmitted diseases, the signs of herpes are not constant, even though the infection never actually goes away. When they disappear one can feel or see no physical indication of infection, leading to the false belief that the virus is either gone or at least unable to be transmitted. When first infected, symptoms can flare up every couple of months. But as time goes on both the frequency and severity of outbreaks often diminish, although it is still just as contagious.
Many factors can make female symptoms herpes normally exhibits difficult to detect and control. Female symptoms of herpes are varied and do not always appear, so many people may go on for a long time without suspecting they are carrying the infection. But it is only by awareness of the symptoms that one can be checked and treated to control it. Also, women must be aware that even without symptoms the disease can be spread, and proper treatment should never be ignored.
Women must be especially careful if they get pregnant with genital herpes. For more information about female herpes visit: Female Symptoms Herpes.
