In the event you experience little sores or openings in your private area and think it might be just an ingrown hair, yeast infection or even fissures around the anus, you might want to stop and consider the possibility of herpes. Perhaps you've seen a smaller sore develop on your lip. How can you tell if it's herpes or not? Some symptoms look exactly like other diseases so it's usually very hard to tell.

Oral herpes along with genital herpes are considered viruses and can be grouped with a couple of other viruses. This group includes the viruses that cause chicken pox and shingles. Also included is a virus known as Epstein-Barr. By far when people refer to herpes they are usually talking about the oral or genital type.

There are two types of herpes. Oral herpes, often referred to as cold sores or fever blisters, are around or on the area of the mouth. This is Herpes Simplex type 1. Genital herpes, or Herpes Simplex type 2 shows up on the vaginal area, anus, upper thighs, buttocks, cervix and areas where there was broken skin during contact. Carriers sometimes don't show symptoms yet they have the ability to pass the virus on to others.

Oral herpes normally begins with small blisters forming on the face but can occur on broken skin. More often than not it's going to show up on your lips. Sometime they will show up in the nose or close by the nose. Inside the blisters is a clear liquid. Painful they are to say the least ending in a crusty sore that will last from seven to ten days. The good news is that there is complications medically speaking but, the personally speaking the blisters are embarrassing and very unsightly.

It doesn't take long after you have had contact with someone carrying the virus for the symptoms to show up, usually somewhere between 2 and 20 days later. If you've had facial herpes, then genital herpes takes longer to show up. Be on the lookout for a tingling sensation followed by tiny red bumps appearing. This occurs at the site of infection and normally begins anywhere from two to ten days after you are exposed.

That first outbreak of herpes is by far the worst, while subsequent embarrassing outbreaks tend not to be as bad. This is because your body lacks the antibodies to fight the viral infection. Little bumps suddenly manifest on the skin. They are liquid filled and either painful, itchy or tingly. These blisters often burst and ooze out a clear liquid that forms a crust. You might have one blister or several clusters. After several days, the blisters clear and the outbreak is over.

Some people experience other symptoms besides the blisters. They may show signs of swollen lymph glands, have a headache, develop a fever, have muscle aches, vaginal discharge or discharge from the male organ, have burning urination or pain in the lower back, besides the burning or itching sensation in the genitals. Outbreaks may occur later at different sites since the virus travels the nerve ganglia

There is a great deal of controversy over whether you can cure herpes. The majority of the medical doctors don,t believe there is a cure for herpes just a way to mask the symptoms. Other research, however, shows conflicting evidence. It indicates that there are natural cures for herpes that actually kill the virus and leaves the individual symptom-free.