How does Oral Herpes Spread
Also known as cold sores, oral herpes is a virus which develops blisters in the mouth and spreads through contagion. It usually appears as a small pink spot on the lip and its symptoms are itching and burning in the area. Quickly, herpes expands, getting bigger and getting red, causing a sharp pain and discomfort. Moreover, it is highly contagious, so you have to be on guard against any possible transmission. In this OneHowTo article we explain you how oral herpes spreads, so you can avoid transmitting the infectious condition to other people.
Steps to follow:
Once oral herpes has developed, it lies dormant in the infected organism. This means that a person might be infected with this virus but don't show any symptom. It is in times of stress when the defences are low and the person feels down when the virus appears. In this cases, the affected person will see a small infection in the lips.
The most common way of transmitting oral herpes is through kisses, so it will be important to avoid kissing someone who has this infection and be extra careful. In fact, one of the main routes of infection is when an exchange of saliva with an affected person occurs.
Also, it is important not to touch the oral herpes when it is active, and if you do, avoid touching other body parts later. The risk of the infection spreading to other areas is very high, so you should immediately wash your hands if you touch a cold sore.
Sharing personal items that come into direct contact with cold sores, such as toothbrush is another possible route to infection. Avoid using someone else's toothbrush because you will not only avoid this but many more infections and diseases that can jeopardize your oral health.
Similar to the toothbrush, it is essential that you avoid using someone else's lipstick because they are some of the main transmitters of oral herpes. This will not only protect you against the virus of cold sores but also against other infections.
Beware of drinking from the glass of someone with a cold sore. There might be traces of saliva which is the primary means for transmitting and enabling oral herpes between people. Always use a clean glass and ensure that nobody but you drinks from it.
Saliva is the main transmitter of oral herpes. For this reason you should avoid exposure to infection as much as possible. Remember that the virus of oral herpes can be present in the body without any symptoms, so it is best not to share anything to avoid all sources of infection.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How does Oral Herpes Spread, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.
Tips
- At the slightest symptoms, see a specialist.
