What are the Symptoms of Herpes for Women?

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Herpes is a type of disease caused by the herpes simplex virus that is usually transmitted through close personal contact or through the exchange of body fluids such as saliva, semen, cervical fluid or even the vesicle fluid found on active lesions. Although herpes could happen in both men and women, the latter is proven to be four times more likely to obtain this infection than men. In other words, a susceptible woman is more likely to get the virus from an infected man rather than a susceptible man obtaining it from an infected woman. In addition to these, the symptoms also vary depending on each gender. This is why it is relevant for us to ask the question; what are the symptoms of herpes for women?

After being infected by the said causative agent, most women will develop or exhibit flu like symptoms. These symptoms also include headache, fever, swollen glands, and body aches, which are quite unrecognizable from other symptoms. These body reactions will usually appear 2 to 20 days after the transmission of the disease. Nevertheless, these symptoms could still be treated with simple OTC drugs and medications such as Tylenol for pain and fever. These reactions usually won’t last more than a few days.

Another distinctive symptom of herpes is the tingling sensation. This is sometimes reported by herpes carriers as an itching or tingling sensation near the location of the next breakout. This is the reason why this symptom is considered as the prodromal symptoms, which occurs prior to the recurring outbreaks. Nevertheless, some of these signs are said to be unrecognized. Some exhibit mild symptoms while others can be very severe or painful, depending on a case to case basis.

Painful urination is also considered to be common among women with this infection. This is due to the swelling and the locations of the herpes sores that could most likely cause inflammation and pain on urination. However, painful urination is also sometimes considered as a prodromal symptom for an outbreak. Nevertheless, this symptom could also be an indication of other infections such as yeast, which is why it is very important for individuals to contact their doctors for proper evaluation.

Vaginal discharges are also recognized as one of the main symptoms of herpes. This diseases, however, produces a runny and malodorous type of discharge. This makes women at risk of having or developing meningitis due to the side effect of an initial herpes outbreak. However, not all women are subject to exhibiting this kind of symptom. In other words, vaginal discharge is also common in other diseases such as the pelvic inflammatory disease. This is why doctors should be able to check the type of discharge in order to check whether it is indeed caused by herpes.

Last, but definitely not the least, is the production of sores. Sores are considered to be the most common symptom in a herpes outbreak. These sores usually appear on the vulva, vagina, anus and even the cervix of the woman. These sores come out as a red and irritated skin that is usually undistinguishable from other symptoms. However, blisters may also develop over time especially if these sores are left untreated. These sores will also break and will eventually form into scab before healing. Knowing these sores and recognizing them as herpes’ is very important since this symptom is considered to be the best indication for this type of infection.