Take the MRSA Quiz! Strep or Sore Throat Slideshow Pictures Infectious Mononucleosis Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Follow-up

Drink plenty of fluids.

• Use pain medications as instructed by the doctor.
• Use medications to control fever.
• Watch for signs and symptoms of dehydration.
• If any signs of dehydration develop, seek medical care immediately.

Oral Herpes (HSV-1) Prevention

To reduce the chance of acquiring HSV-1, avoid touching saliva, skin, or mucous membranes of people who have HSV-1 lesions. Prevention of genital HSV may be accomplished by latex condoms, but protection is never 100%.

Oral Herpes (HSV-1) Risk Factors

Unfortunately, everyone is at risk to get HSV-1 infection. The majority of children between 6 months to 3 years of age are exposed to HSV-1 simply by contact with other humans. By 14-49 years of age, about 60% of the population has been infected, and by age 60, about 85% of the population has been infected with HSV-1.

Oral Herpes (HSV-1) Prognosis

The sores and symptoms of oral herpes usually completely disappear in two to three weeks with no scarring. However, the sores may reappear under certain stressful situations. Rarely, some complications develop in a few individuals:

• atopic eczema,
• encephalitis,
• keratoconjunctivitis,
• pharyngitis,
• hepatitis,
• herpes whitlow (HSV blisters or lesions on the finger(s).

Oral Herpes (HSV-1) Pictures

A herpes Tzanck smear shows enlarged nuclei that occupy most of the cell. Photo: NIH

Oral herpes: Clusters of blisters erupt on the lips, tongue, and inside the mouth. Most people have been infected by at least one herpes subtype before adulthood.