Herpes rashes are called fever on the lips in everyday life . You can often hear that a person has a "cold" in his mouth. However, such symptoms are in no way associated with SARS. The causative agent of herpes is the virus. Hypothermia and colds are not the cause of rashes on the lips, they can only provoke the activity of the microorganism. Skin manifestations of infection, especially on the face, spoil the appearance of a person. Therefore, I want to get rid of sores near my mouth as soon as possible. But the herpes virus is not always easily treatable, and therapy may take some time.
Herpes virus
Herpes simplex virus type 1 causes lip fever. About 80-90% of people carry it, as the infection is very easily transmitted. However, far from everyone, this microorganism causes rashes on the skin. The virus becomes active only in the presence of additional adverse factors.
Many patients are interested in the question: "How to cure a fever on the lip?" Currently, there is no such drug that can destroy the causative agent of the disease. Once in the body, the virus invades the cellular structures and stays there forever. However, with the help of drug therapy, the activity of the pathogen can be suppressed. And then the symptoms of the disease disappear. But the virus remains in the body, and the fever on the lips can reappear with a decrease in immunity.
Transmission ways
How is the herpes virus transmitted? This is a rather insidious microorganism that can spread in various ways. That is why many people are asymptomatic carriers of the virus. However, you can only get infected from a person suffering from an acute form of herpes. Infection occurs in the following ways:
- Through a kiss or oral-genital contact with the patient.
- By airborne droplets. The patient can transmit the virus to others by coughing or sneezing.
- Infection is transmitted through personal items, such as a towel, toothbrush, or lipstick.
- Perhaps infection when using the same dishes with the patient.
- A pregnant woman with acute cold sores can infect an unborn baby in utero.
- In rare cases, a person can infect himself. During inaccurate application of creams and ointments, the rash can spread from the affected areas to healthy ones.
It is important to remember that the herpes virus is quite stable and can live outside the body for about 4 hours. Therefore, healthy people easily become infected through objects and utensils with which the patient came into contact. Then this microorganism penetrates through the mucous membrane into the nerve endings and settles there forever.
Provocative factors
As already mentioned, fever on the lips does not always occur when a herpes virus is infected. The microorganism becomes active and causes skin manifestations when exposed to the following factors:
- frequent colds;
- hypothermia (especially after being in a hot room);
- intoxication;
- excessive sun exposure;
- nervous strain;
- pregnancy complicated by toxicosis;
- coffee abuse;
- following too strict a diet, malnutrition;
- avitaminosis;
- smoking and drinking alcohol.
All of the above factors lead to a weakening of the immune system. As a result, the virus is activated, and external manifestations of herpes infection occur.
Symptomatology
Signs of the disease depend on the stage of development of herpetic infection:
- 1st stage. The virus travels along the nerve paths to the lips. The skin in the mouth turns red, there is a slight itching and tingling sensation. Some patients have flu-like symptoms: malaise, a slight increase in temperature, chills, body aches. If you start treatment at this stage, it will help to avoid the formation of a bubble rash.
- 2 stage. Inflammation occurs in the affected areas, accompanied by the appearance of vesicles. Rashes are filled with a clear liquid. Over time, the bubbles become larger. Itching becomes more severe, pain in the lips appears.
- 3 stage. Bubbles burst and sores form in their place. At this time, the patient is especially contagious. There is a high risk of infection to others.
- 4 stage. On the affected areas, crusts form. They should never be torn off, as they protect the ulcers from infection. Sometimes the crusts break themselves with active mouth movements.
Often patients are interested in: "How to get rid of lip fever in a short time?" It is impossible to quickly eliminate the external manifestations of the disease. It usually takes about 7-14 days from the onset of the first signs of skin damage to full recovery.
It is important to remember that herpes on the lips is not as harmless as it seems at first glance. Frequent exacerbations of the infection adversely affect the heart and blood vessels. Herpes is especially dangerous for pregnant women. This disease increases the risk of miscarriage, and can also lead to infection of the embryo. Because of this, a newborn can suffer from herpetic etiology encephalitis.
Diagnostics
Usually, the diagnosis of the disease is not difficult. Pathology can be determined already during an external examination of the patient. Characteristic bubble rashes on the lips indicate a herpetic etiology of the disease.
Differential diagnosis is sometimes required with herpes zoster and enterovirus herpangina. In such cases, the doctor prescribes immunological blood tests by ELISA or PCR.
Medications
Lip fever treatment aims to deactivate the virus. There are special preparations that remove the DNA of the pathogen from the skin cells. As a result of such therapy, the manifestations of the disease disappear.
At the first stage of the disease, when there are no bubble rashes, antiviral tablets are prescribed:
These drugs should be taken twice a day for about 3-4 days. In many cases, drug therapy avoids the appearance of vesicles. However, tablets are only effective in the early days of illness.
At the stage of the appearance of rashes and the formation of ulcers, it is necessary to use antiviral ointments for fever on the lips:
- Zovirax
- "Acyclovir";
- "Fenistil Pencivir";
- Herpevir.
These funds must be applied very carefully using a cotton swab. You can not smear the drug on the skin, this will lead to the spread of rashes to healthy areas.
At the stage of healing and the formation of crusts, emollient ointments and creams based on zinc should be used.
In some patients, exacerbations of herpes are noted very often, more than 5 times a year. How to treat lip fever in such complex cases? With constant relapse of infection, a long course of taking immunomodulators is prescribed:
- Viferon;
- Cycloferon;
- Kipferon;
- "Ingaron";
- Amiksina.
These drugs stimulate the production of interferon in the body and help strengthen the immune system.
In severe cases, after stopping the acute symptoms of the disease, Vitagerpavak vaccine for herpes is administered. It protects against relapse of the disease. After 6 months, the vaccine is repeated to consolidate the results. One of the indications for vaccination is frequent exacerbations of herpes (more than 4 times a year).
ethnoscience
Folk remedies for fever on the lip should be used together with antiviral tablets and ointments. Before using them, you need to consult a doctor. The following home remedies are recommended:
- Applying ice. This tool is effective in the early days of the disease, when redness of the skin is observed, but there are no bubbles. It is useful to make ice from a decoction of chamomile. Compress is applied to the reddened area for 15-20 minutes.
- Kalanchoe. Squeeze the juice from the leaf of the plant and process rashes several times a day.
- Tea brewing. In a glass of boiling water you need to brew 3 tablespoons of black tea. This means you need to moisten the rash. Tea has anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects.
- Lemon. It is necessary to squeeze the juice from the fruit and apply it to the rash. Lemon acts as an antipruritic.
Preventive measures
To avoid the recurrence of herpes, it is necessary to strengthen your immunity. To do this, you need to regularly and fully eat, take vitamins, spend as much time as possible in the fresh air.
During an exacerbation of the disease, the spread of infection should be avoided. Skin bubbles should never be punctured or squeezed out. It is necessary to touch rashes as rarely as possible, and after treating the affected areas with drugs, wash your hands thoroughly. After recovery, it is recommended to change the toothbrush and towel.
It is important to take care of the health of others, because herpes is very contagious. A sick person needs to use separate dishes and personal items. During the period of exacerbation, the patient needs to refrain from kisses and oral-genital contacts in order to avoid infection of others.