herpes labialis

herpes /her·pes/ (her´pēz) any inflammatory skin disease marked by the formation of small vesicles in clusters; the term is usually restricted to such diseases caused by herpesviruses and is used alone to refer to h. simplex or to h. zoster.

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herpes febri´lis  see h. simplex.

genital herpes , herpes genita´lis herpes simplex due to type 2 virus, primarily transmitted sexually via genital secretions and involving the genital region; in women, the vesicular stage may give rise to confluent, painful ulcerations and may be accompanied by neurologic symptoms.

herpes gestatio´nis  a variant of dermatitis herpetiformis peculiar to pregnant women, and clearing upon termination of pregnancy.

herpes labia´lis  h. febrilis affecting the vermilion border of the lips.

herpes progenita´lis  genital h.

herpes sim´plex  an acute viral disease, caused by human herpesviruses 1 and 2, marked by groups of vesicles on the skin, often on the borders of the lips or nares (cold sores), or on the genitals (genital h.); it often accompanies fever (fever blisters, h. febrilis) .

herpes zos´ter  shingles; an acute, unilateral, self-limited inflammatory disease of cerebral ganglia and the ganglia of posterior nerve roots and peripheral nerves in a segmented distribution, believed to represent activation of latent human herpesvirus 3 in those who have been rendered partially immune after a previous attack of chickenpox, and characterized by groups of small vesicles in the cutaneous areas along the course of affected nerves, and associated with neuralgic pain.

herpes zos´ter ophthal´micus  herpes zoster involving the ophthalmic nerve, with a vesicular erythematous rash along the nerve path (forehead, eyelid, and cornea) preceded by lancinating pain; there is iridocyclitis, and corneal involvement may lead to keratitis and corneal anesthesia.

herpes zos´ter o´ticus  Ramsay Hunt syndrome (1).

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herpes labialis.

See herpes simplex.

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herpes labialis (hur´pēz lā´bēal´is),

(cold sore), a disease of the lips caused by herpes simplex virus and characterized by vesicles that rupture, leaving ulcers. The local lesions are often called
fever blisters or
cold sores. Also called
herpes simplex of the lips. See also herpes simplex.

Herpes labialis.

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Patient discussion about herpes labialis.

Q. Are cold sores contagious? My boyfriend has cold sores on his mouth. Can I catch it from him? If so, how can I prevent catching it?

A. The virus that causes cold sores is known as the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV, type I and type II. Cold sores are usually caused by type I. Herpes simplex infections are contagious. You can catch the virus by kissing your boyfriend or having other close contact with his sores or even from having contact with other parts of his skin that appear normal but are in fact shedding the virus. People are most contagious when they have active blister-like sores. Once the blisters have dried and crusted over (within a few days), the risk of contagion is significantly lessened. Therefore, it is best that you don't come in physical contact while he has the cold sores, since he is contagious. However, a person infected with HSV can pass it on to another person even when a cold sore is not present. This is because the virus is sometimes shed in saliva even when sores are not present.

Q. i just got over a cold sore using abreva is this best remedy to use? i didnt get a cold sore for while but i think problems lately have caused them to appear?

A. Yes, Abreva is a good choice for a cold sore. It usually helps with the itching and dryness. Next time, you should apply an acyclovir cream (Zovirax) straight from the beginning - when you get that itching or tingling even before the cold sore appears. It will make it go away faster.