Occurs in childhood. Therefore, 95% of the world's population are carriers of the virus. The pathogen is transmitted quickly, mainly by airborne droplets. Herpes is incurable, so a repeated incident makes itself felt under favorable conditions. In people with persistent immunity, enough antibodies are produced to suppress HSV activity naturally. Others develop recurrent herpes.
Herpes is a lifelong infection that will worry if the immune system is weakened.
Description
Chronic herpes is an endogenous pathology characterized by periodic acute phases and a calmness of symptoms. The causative agent of the disease is the herpes simplex virus. The virus leaves at any age, regardless of gender. A peculiarity of the virus is its manifestation in the form of a blistering rash with localization in the area of the lips. In the pathogenesis of recurrent herpes, the main causative factor is a decrease in immunity against the background:
- hypothermia;
- frequent or difficult SARS;
- pneumonia;
- stress and overwork;
- severe forms of other pathologies (HIV, leukemia, cancer);
- fluctuations in hormonal levels (in women).
Chronic herpes infection on the lips is also called labial herpes. When aggravated, it often spreads to the oral mucosa and throat, nose and the inside of it.
Frequency
The norm in terms of quantity is considered if labial herpes has been repeated at 1-2 relapses per year, in particular, in the winter season, when there is a chance to freeze. In people with good immunity, herpes on the lips is accompanied by discomfort, itching and vesicles that quickly burst, become crusty and go away after a week.
Frequent herpes on the lips is diagnosed when a recurrent ailment is repeated 3-6 times a year. This number signals the development of serious disorders that require medical intervention.
If labile herpes comes out more than 6 times a year, this indicates serious problems with internal organs and strong suppression of immunity. Table: The number of repetitions of recurrent herpes for different pathologies:
Herpes on the lip, repeating 6 times a year, is an alarming signal of severe pathology.
Causes
Chronic recurrent herpes of the first type develops against the background of a recurring acute infection, which is usually contracted as children. The virus is in a dormant state most of the time and is activated only under conditions favorable for its life. If the state of immunity is not corrected in time, the disease becomes chronic and has frequent relapses. The virus makes pathological changes in cells. Unpleasant symptoms and vesicular rashes begin to appear. Sometimes herpes takes on a permanent form when one rash has not gone away, but the second is already appearing. This can go on for a month or more. The reason why the virus behaves this way is not fully understood.
The provoking factors are:
- a sharp temperature drop, overheating in summer or hypothermia in winter;
- exacerbation of chronic pathologies, lingering colds infections;
- allergic reactions to food, bloom, etc.;
- constant stress, overwork;
- failure in metabolic processes;
- vitamin deficiency, in particular, a deficiency of vitamins A, C, E, which often happens in children;
- pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations before menstruation (in women).
Symptoms
Severe symptoms are observed only with primary infection with an infection. Herpes on the lips, recurring several times a year, is characterized by a less intense clinical picture and blurred symptoms. The severity of the clinic is largely determined by the degree of weakened immunity. Typical symptoms when herpes recurs:
- tingling and burning, turning into itching in places where a future rash will occur;
- the formation of single papules, which gradually pour out on the skin of the lips and merge into groups, are filled with a transparent or cloudy liquid substrate.
If each repetition causes a cold, SARS, flu, accompanying symptoms appear:
Labile herpes often appears against the background of ARVI and other colds.
- general weakness;
- enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes;
- temperature.
In this case, the bubbles spread from the lips into the mouth, throat, tonsils, causing sore throat, redness, problems with swallowing, breathing.
Recurrence of the infection, manifested by itching, a rash near the red border of the lips or in the corners, an increase in the cervical lymph nodes, disappears in 2 weeks. After that, the herpes chronicus recidivans goes into a dormant form.
Diagnostics
If it pours out bubbles on the lips, characteristic signs of an exacerbation of chronic herpes in a child or an adult, you should contact a therapist, a dermatologist, who will confirm the advisability of further examination by an immunologist, etc. Doctors will carry out a differential diagnosis of persistent herpes on the lips from:
- activation of aphthous stomatitis;
- allergic inflammation of the oral mucosa;
- contagious infectious inflammation caused by streptococcus.
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The diagnosis is based on examination of the patient, assessment of medical history and medical history. The features of the clinic of the disease are taken into account. Laboratory tests are mandatory, based on cytological analysis of samples of the contents of the vesicles and scrapings taken from the erosion zone (wounds formed after opening the blisters after 2-3 days during exacerbation). The result is considered positive if large polynuclear herpes cells are found. As a confirmatory diagnosis, a virological study of the biomaterial is carried out.
Help basics
Treatment of chronic herpes is carried out in a complex manner with the use of specific drugs at different stages of the pathology. Three-phase therapy is usually used in the form of:
- etiotropic intervention aimed directly at the DNA of the virus;
- pathogenetic effects aimed at strengthening the immune system;
- symptomatic therapy to help reduce discomfort.
As an additional effect, a gentle but nutritious diet, a course of multivitamins, good rest and good sleep are prescribed.
The main rule for eliminating labile herpes is the timeliness of therapy. Frequent recurrence (more than 6 times a year) requires a course of antiviral chemotherapy drugs from the group of interferon and its inducers, as well as "Deoxyribonuclease", "Levamisole", depending on the severity of the disease. When the disease passes into the stage of remission, immunomodulators, "Pyrogenal", antiherpetic vaccination are used.
The maximum effectiveness of antiherpetic treatment is manifested at the initial stage, when redness and tingling in the lips have already appeared, but there are no vesicles yet. In this case, instead of lipstick and foundation, you need to lubricate the sore spot with antiherpes ointment, for example, Gerpevir, Zovirax, Acyclovir, Famvir, Lavomax. You can also do it with herbal gels - Panavir, Alpizarin, Helepin.