Herpes - This is a viral disease that is characterized by drying out in different parts of the skin, as well as on the mucous membranes.
Most often, this disease affects:
- skin;
- eyes (manifested as conjunctivitis, keratitis);
- central nervous system;
- mucous membranes of the genitals;
- mucous membranes of the face;
- hair roots.
As an independent disease in medicine, herpes simplex and herpes zoster are distinguished. Herpes simplex is manifested by a group of small vesicles containing a transparent substance. As a rule, this type of herpes mainly affects the lips, eyes, nose wings, mucous membranes of the oral cavity, genitals. Herpes zoster is provoked by chickenpox virus and is observed only in adults. In children under 10 years of age, this disease does not occur, but upon contact with a patient with such herpes, children can get chickenpox.
Herpes - the causes of the disease
Infection with this infection occurs through direct contact with a person who has exposed skin surfaces affected by herpes. The herpes virus settles very quickly in the skin cells and multiplies intensively there. If the condition of the immune system is poor, then an exacerbation of the disease is possible. The following factors can also contribute to the exacerbation process:
- stress;
- subcooling;
- acute respiratory infections;
- any infectious disease that suppresses the immune system;
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- various poisoning of the body.
Herpes - symptoms of the disease
Herpes can be quite easily detected in the early stages, but for this you need to know some of the nuances of the course of this disease. This disease has 4 stages of development, each of which is characterized by its own symptoms.
Stage 1 - tingling. Before the appearance of focal lesions, the patient will feel tingling, tingling, slight pain, itching in some places of the skin or tongue. Since time, the skin at the site of a potential relapse turns red.
Stage 2 - inflammation. A small painful vesicle appears, which gradually begins to increase in size. The contents of the bubble are initially transparent, but later become cloudy.
Stage 3 - ulceration. The enlarged bubble bursts. At the same time, a clear fluid containing billions of viral bodies of the disease follows from it. An ulcer forms at the rupture site.
Stage 4 - scab formation. A crust appears over the resulting ulcer, the damage of which is accompanied by pain and bleeding.
Herpes - diagnosis of the disease
Examination of a patient with herpes of a person is carried out by a complex method, which includes several multidirectional studies, allowing to determine the typology of the virus with maximum accuracy. Diagnostics involves the following tests:
- virological technique for the detection of herpes simplex virus;
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
- identification of herpes antigens;
- registration of the immune response to the herpes simplex virus;
- cytomorphological methods;
- immunofermet analysis (ELISA).
Herpes - treatment and prevention
To date, medicine does not yet have drugs that could completely kill the herpes virus in the human body. But there are a number of special antiviral drugs that can effectively inhibit the reproduction of these viruses. Any relapses of this disease that affect the lips or nasal mucosa can be treated locally with ointments. The effectiveness of the treatment of herpes depends on the timely treatment of a doctor, because in the early stages the number of viral bodies is not so large that it allows you to quickly repay their reproduction.
The main preventive method is to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, it is always necessary to observe the sleep and rest regimen, and also not to forget about the hardening of the body. Crowded areas are at risk, especially during epidemics of influenza and SARS.
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