ORAL herpes is an infection of the lips, mouth or gums due to the herpes simplex virus. It causes small, painful blisters commonly called cold sores or fever blisters.

Oral herpes is also called herpes labialis.

CAUSES

Oral herpes is a common infection that is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Most people in the United States are infected with this virus by age 20.

After the first infection, the virus goes to sleep (becomes dormant) in the nerve tissues in the face. Sometimes, the virus later wakes up (reactivates), causing cold sores. Herpes virus type 2 (HSV-2) most often causes genital herpes.

However, sometimes HSV-2 is spread to the mouth during oral sex, causing oral herpes. Herpes viruses spread most easily from individuals with an active outbreak or sore.

You can catch this virus if you:

• Have intimate or personal contact with someone who is infected;

• Touch an open herpes sore or something that has been in contact with the herpes virus, such as infected razors, towels, dishes, and other shared items. Parents may spread the virus to their children during regular daily activities.

SYMPTOMS

Some people get mouth ulcers when they first come into contact with HSV-1 virus. Others have no symptoms. Symptoms most often occur in kids between one and five years old.

Symptoms may be mild or severe. They most often appear within one to three weeks after you come into contact with the virus. They may last up to three weeks.

Warning symptoms include:

• Itching of the lips or skin around mouth;

• Burning near the lips or mouth area;

• Tingling near the lips or mouth area.

Before blisters appear, you may have: Sore throat; fever; swollen glands; painful swallowing.

Blisters or a rash may form on your gums, lips, mouth, throat. Many blisters are called an outbreak.

You may have:

• Red blisters that break open and leak;

• Small blisters filled with clear, yellowish fluid;

• Several smaller blisters that may grow together into a large blister;

• Yellow and crusty blister as it heals, which eventually turns into pink skin.

Symptoms may be triggered by: menstruation or hormone changes; being out in the sun; fever; and stress. If the symptoms return later, they are usually milder.

TREATMENT

Symptoms may go away on their own without treatment in one to two weeks. Your health care provider can prescribe medicines to fight the virus. This is called antiviral medicine.

It can help reduce pain and make your symptoms go away sooner. Medicines used to treat mouth sores include Acyclovir, Famciclovir, and Valacyclovir.

These medicines work best if you take them when you have warning signs of a mouth sore, before any blisters develop. If you get mouth sores frequently, you may need to take these medicines all the time.

Antiviral skin creams may also be used. However, they are expensive and often only shorten the outbreak by a few hours to a day.

The following steps can also help make you feel better:

• Apply ice or a warm washcloth to the sores to help ease pain.

• Wash the blisters gently with germ-fighting (antiseptic) soap and water. This helps prevent spreading the virus to other body areas.

• Avoid hot beverages, spicy and salty foods, and citrus.

• Gargle with cool water or eat popsicles.

• Rinse with salt water.

• Take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Dr Sharon Robinson DDS has offices at the Dental Place Cosmetix Spa located at Shop #5, Winchester Business Centre, 15 Hope Road, Kingston 10. Dr Robinson is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Technology, Jamaica, School of Oral Health Sciences. She may be contacted at 630- 4710, or you may visit the website www. dentalplace4u.com