Many people who contract genital herpes may not show any symptoms. Some may show mild symptoms that are taken as something else, while others may get severe problems.

Genital herpes occurs in episodes. When you contract the virus, the virus travels to the nerve centers near the spinal cord. It travels back from there to the genital area and breaks out from time to time.

First Episode-

The first episode begins within a fortnight of contact. Some people get severe symptoms of herpes in this episode while others may get very mild symptoms of herpes during the first episode. The main symptom is appearance of lesions. You may see blisters filled with fluid or ulcers. The blisters rupture in to ulcers in few days and crust and heal within a month. The common areas are: on the vulva, penis, near anus, thighs, and inside vagina. Commonly women get more severe symptoms then men. If women get blisters in the vagina, cervix or urethra they may take it as something else. The symptoms of urethra may be treated as urinary tract infection. The symptoms of the vagina or cervix may be treated as yeast infection, if they are also accompanied by a discharge. If a woman repeatedly gets such symptoms, she should get herself checked for herpes. Blisters in the urethra of men may also be misdiagnosed by the patient. One should keep watch over any such symptoms after having unprotected sex.

Painful urination and headache may also occur during the first episode. Some patients also show flu-like symptoms during the first episode. Those who get mild symptoms may take them as insect bites, rashes, ringworm, etc. As these symptoms resolve soon, people are left unaware of the fact that they have herpes.

Recurring Episodes-

Most often the recurring episodes are far milder than the first episode. While some may have up to eight episodes in a year, others may have only one or two episodes. The recurrence depends upon the triggers of herpes. Certain factors trigger herpes. If you are careless about them you may get more recurrences.

In the next episodes, the symptoms of genital herpes may appear like: ingrown hair, insect bites, pimples, spots, etc. If blisters form, they crust over in few days and resolve. Most of the following episodes resolve much quickly than the first episode. Symptoms mimicking hemorrhoids may also appear on the anus. If you get repeated fissures or any other symptoms near or on the genitals, you should get screened for genital herpes. On average, a person having genital herpes from HSV2 may have three to four episodes of recurrence every year. Many times, despite the virus being active near the genitals, one may show no symptoms. But during this phase the person sheds the virus. That is called asymptomatic shedding.

Prodrome phase-

Prodrome is the early symptom that indicates that a disease attack is imminent. Many people feel some pain, tingling or itching before active onset of genital herpes. Within a day or two, lesions appear on the affected area. Once you recognize the prodrome, you should begin your medicines to reduce the intensity and duration of the attack.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.