Stages Of Herpes
As you can imagine I spend a considerable amount of time reading about stages of herpes. Thankfully there are things called “books” (with you know, actual pages) otherwise I might be stuck with what is available on the Internet. Every few days I come across an article (usually on one of the larger article submission sites which trade content for links) containing such wrong information that it should almost be criminal.
There are different stages to a herpes breakout that you need to be aware of. Treating the early symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease will reduce the chances of permanent cell damage. This will help stop the complete destruction or break down of your skin that can lead to embarrassing scarring. Herpes affects millions of people each year and is estimated to continue its threat as an epidemic if proper treatment is not received. The stages of herpes simplex can evolve as badly as a case of bed sores which completely deteriorate the skin.
I see where he is warming up here in that there actually are different stages of a herpes outbreak that you need to be aware of. Moving on I am not quite sure where he’s going with “permanent cell damage”. That sounds scary. With my 20 years and probably in excess of 100 lifetime outbreaks, am I drowning in permanent cell damage? Say it’s not so! “Complete destruction or break down of your skin that can lead to embarrassing scarring”. I love it. What the hell is complete destruction of your skin? Embarrassing scarring? I, um – don’t know where to begin. Let’s just say I’ve never had any complaints about embarrassing scarring. I love this comparison to bed sores (???) and again with the complete destruction of my skin. OK. Onward…
The first stage is redness; it can be a small area that is sensitive to touch, slightly itchy and has a low variable of pain. The second stage will have an unnoticeable amount of swelling.
I’m good on the first sentence. I mostly get the “low variable of pain” although I’m leaning toward English being a second language for one of us. Could be me. Here I am lost: The second stage will have an unnoticeable amount of swelling. Well, you learn something new every day. My second stage of herpes has always been quite active and involving significant swelling, and let’s see, what else? Oh yeah – an obvious painful rash or blister! Looks like me (and all the Doctors) have it wrong. First stage is red and then after that there is nothing. Not even any noticeable swelling. Where can I swap my second stage for that second stage?
The third stage will include pus filled (red/blood, clear, yellowish) blisters. They will come to formation over the area with the redness and swelling, so you have a combination of all three stages in one. The area can be limited to one or two blisters or clusters of pustules.
Oh here’s his second stage. He thinks it’s a third stage. That’s cool – it takes all kinds here on the Internet. ”pus filled (red/blood, clear, yellowish)”. Wow, that is some pus. Red/blood? As opposed to… blue/blood? I can say to anyone that is new to all this that he might be on to something here but a) it’s not as bad as it sounds and b) I cannot remember a single herpes outbreak that contained blood. I mostly like that this third stage has, “a combination of all three stages in one”. Does that not erase even any remote definition of the word: STAGE. One stage, two stage, three stage: The *stages of herpes*. And wait. Doesn’t the second stage involve and unnoticeable amount of swelling? So now here in the third stage (which is really all the stages mashed together) we have a) blood and b) pus and c) utter and total skin destruction.
But don’t worry – you won’t notice a thing!
The fourth stage normally comes to fruition once the blisters lose their outer covering. This stage is called the wet ulcer stage and involves all of the other three stages but include areas with openings completely raw to the touch. This state is where the skin ultimately deteriorates and leaves you more susceptible to scars and tissue damage. The final stage of herpes is where the skin scabs and the ulcer begins to crust over. This is the healing stage. The swelling and redness dissipates, the crust or dead skin hardens and your new skin will form underneath. The healing is complete once the original scab falls off.
Ah yes, we have arrived at the fourth (and fifth?) stages of herpes. Thank God. Miracle we made it this far, eh? Good to know that the fourth stage once again, “involves all the other stages but with openings”. So yeah, that unnoticeable swelling from stage two – you still won’t feel a thing. Just ignore that part about everything being wide open. …and here is where the skin ultimately deteriorates (and watch out for that tissue damage!). No, wait for it – looks like in the final stage (where are we now?!) there just might be some healing. Yup, some dead skin (what happened to the utter and complete destruction?) hardens and yes, new skin! Oh, glory to God, it looks like it’s going to be OK.
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Oh and let’s not forget that guys can “keep the area dry” HELLO!
VAGINAL – maybe a road map is in order? How do you keep your self “dry” inside the wetness part of the female body???
It seems no one bothers to address this little bit of info… or am I the only one on the planet who really has vaginal herpes?
lol
Hey Teri! I can assure you that I have vaginal herpes too! At least I hope that’s what it is or it’s been an interesting 20 years.. I agree with you that it can be difficult to keep the ‘area’ dry given our actual anatomy, but since I mention that fact a lot I would like to elaborate.
It’s mostly that you don’t want to cover any lesions all up with potions and oils and creams during the active phase. I am however a big fan of Vitamin E during the healing stage. I do NOT do this (because it seems excessive) but there are drying agents which can speed up healing by absorbing moisture from the skin. Burrows Solution would be an example. Pharmacist can give you more information if it’s something you are interested in trying.
Good luck! Glad you are managing a sense of humor about it all.
Hi, I am very confused with my symptoms, and this is the FIRST thing I’ve come across that even sounds somewhat similar to what I’m experiencing.
I experienced EXTREME itching and tingling a couple of weeks ago, and then last week started getting large tender 2 somewhat large “lumps” under the skin on one side of my vaginal lip and closer to my anus. Then a 3rd lump appeared. A few days ago, one of the lumps started becoming a blister on top of the skin. It got to the point after a couple of days that it looked like a red bubble on top of the skin. I went to my OBGYN, and she said that herpes does not present like a lump under the skin that rises to the surface. But from what your post seems to say, that’s how your herpes have presented? She also said that she couldn’t swab it because it was under the skin. She took a blood test for all STDs, and it came back negative for everything. (However, if I just contracted herpes, the antibodies wouldn’t have had time to develop yet, so that blood test is not very helpful.)
Last night, the blister burst and blood came out. I went to the doctor today, but she wasn’t sure what it was. I am VERY NERVOUS (basically, I’m freaking out), and just looking for some insight. Does this sound at all like what you have? Also, about how large are your bumps that are under the skin?
Some of my symptoms seem like typical herpes symptoms (i.e., the intense itching and tingling), but others don’t (i.e., the bump starting under the skin and bursting blood) so I’m confused. I saw a dr and she was stumped too. She swabbed it, but I have to wait a week for those results, and in the meantime, I am FREAKING out!!!
In advance, thanks so much for any insight you can give me!