What is the difference between herpes and colds on the lips: symptoms, treatment

Rashes in the lip area are called colds or herpes, mistakenly believing that these two words are synonymous. This misconception is dangerous because a person can start the wrong treatment, which not only will not lead to a quick recovery, but can also provoke the development of complications. In order not to make a mistake when diagnosing, you need to understand whether a cold in the form of a rash on the lips is herpes or not.

What is the difference between a cold and herpes

Herpes is a virus found in everyone’s body, so its manifestation on the lips is possible in healthy people. A cold is a common lump consisting of several blisters; a viral disease manifests itself in the same way and is the cause of the disease. Herpes forms not only on the lips, but also on other parts of the body. When immunity decreases, the virus is activated, manifests itself externally, and there are other causes of the disease.

With a viral disease, small pimples appear on the lips and body; sores occur mainly due to hypothermia. The conditions occur in the same way, but have different causes. Colds come in different etiologies, including herpetic, but they are not the same thing.

Additional medications

For herpes on the lips, experts recommend using painkillers. Among the most effective anesthetics, those that contain lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine, camphor, phenol or benzyl alcohol should be highlighted.

Lysine, zinc and tannic acid have excellent antiviral effects. They help slow down the reproduction processes of the causative agent of herpetic infectious disease.

Antibacterial components create an environment in which wounds heal quickly, eliminating the possibility of re-infection.

In order to prevent exacerbation and progression of HSV-1, it is recommended to use drugs that protect the skin from direct exposure to ultraviolet rays. For these purposes, products containing zinc oxide are indispensable.

How to distinguish a virus from a cold

It is impossible to identify herpes or a cold on the lip by appearance; they manifest themselves in the same way. To understand what to treat, you need to take a blood test for antibodies. You can also distinguish the herpes virus from a cold on the lips by analyzing the area of ​​the mucous membrane where the formation appeared. The material is studied under a microscope.

Fact! Patients confuse the cold with syphilis, which appears on the lips. In case of illness, the difference from herpes is that the formation without blisters, hard, painless, appears no earlier than a month after contact with the infected person.

Distinctive features of herpes on the lips

Despite some superficial similarities, herpes is different from the common cold. It is important to know the characteristics of the rash in the first and second phenomena, then you can easily make a diagnosis.

Symptoms

A viral disease occurs as follows:

1. During the first 1-2 days, redness, itching, and thickening appear, which can be felt with your fingers. To prevent the disease, it is worth starting treatment immediately, lubricating the affected areas with herpes ointments and creams to reduce the number of pimples.
2. On day 3, pimples appear, consisting of blisters filled with liquid. Over time, they acquire a gray tint and soreness. Pus inside the sore is normal.
3. By day 4, the bubbles burst, ulcers and scabs form. From this period, the patient is not contagious and can communicate with people.
4. After a week, the sore goes away completely, scars rarely remain.

Clinical manifestations of labial herpes

HSV-1 is a common herpes, which most often first appears on the lips of children in preschool or primary school age.

If the body’s protective barrier is not sufficiently strong, the herpes virus can occur in a form such as stomatitis or sore throat.

Acute form of the disease

Among the primary symptoms of labial herpes during an exacerbation, the following should be highlighted:

• Increase in body temperature to 38.5-39.0 degrees.
• Malaise, sweating and chills.
• Convulsions and confusion.

In the mouth and larynx, characteristic changes may appear on the mucous membrane. Swelling and pronounced redness can be seen with the naked eye.

Small papules filled with clear liquid appear on the affected areas. They burst after a certain period of time.

Instead, weeping erosions appear, which can bleed when injured. The child's condition during primary infection remains extremely serious and requires proper care and medical supervision. Subsequent relapses are easier to bear.

The body temperature does not decrease until the period of exacerbation passes. There is also a connection with lymphatic structures.

With primary infection, enlargement of the lymph nodes is possible. The submandibular and cervical lymph capsules become painful.

Over time, the eroded surface heals, the temperature returns to normal and the child recovers. Clinical symptoms of primary infection last for 2-3 weeks.

Chronic HSV-1

The herpes virus, which causes relapses on the lips, after a period of exacerbation takes a chronic course.

It is much easier to tolerate, since during an exacerbation only minor rashes are observed in the lip area (on the inner surface or on the red border).

Stages of development of labial herpes:

1. The first stage is precursors (after 2-14 hours). Characterized by itching and tingling. In some cases, slight numbness of the skin in the affected area appears.
2. The second stage is hyperemia and swelling (on days 1-2). It is accompanied by severe redness of the skin, which turns into swelling and is accompanied by unbearable itching. If you apply an antiviral agent to the affected areas at this stage, you can prevent the appearance of blisters.
3. The third stage is the formation of bubbles (on days 1-2). In the area of ​​redness and swelling, small papules develop, filled with clear or cloudy liquid. The size of the bubbles gradually increases. Swelling also progresses, which affects aesthetic indicators.
4. The fourth stage is erosion of the surface of the lips (on the 3rd day). Papules reach critical sizes. After which they break through, turning into weeping erosions. The infected fluid that leaks from the blisters is a source of infection. This stage of the disease is the most dangerous for others.
5. The fifth stage is the formation of crusts (on days 6-8). Gradually, crusts begin to form on the red border of the lips, in the affected area. Even though they are easy to remove. It's better not to try to tear them off. Even if you accidentally touch the scabs, the delicate skin is damaged and begins to hurt. Possible bleeding. Herpes heals from the inside. The swelling gradually subsides.
6. The sixth stage is healing (on days 9-11). Complete healing of erosions occurs within two days. Swelling and redness subsides. The causative agent of the infectious disease becomes inactive. It can remain in the dormant stage until it is activated under the influence of predisposing factors. The patient becomes a carrier and during the rest period does not pose a danger to others.

Causes

Reasons for the appearance of small blisters in the form of redness:

• lack of vitamins;
• consequences of chronicity of past diseases;
• excessive physical activity;
• unbalanced diet;
• frequent stress;
• hypothermia;
• sunburn;
• syphilis;
• hormonal imbalance (pregnancy, menstruation, adolescence);

Herpes on the lips is a contagious disease transmitted by:

• by airborne droplets;
• upon contact with an infected person;
• after sexual intercourse;
• kiss;
• through everyday objects.

Peculiarities

Labial herpes, like the rest of its “brothers”, has one feature. With primary symptoms, the patient begins intensive treatment. He takes pills, ointments, gels, which, in his opinion, will overcome the disease. But it's not that simple. We have not yet found healing agents that will forever rid humanity of this persistent, unpleasant infection. And if a person is infected once, the virus will live with him forever, settling in the nerve fibers.

In modern medicine, 8 types of herpes are defined. Labial is classified as the simple first type. But the causative agent is also the second type of virus, which affects the genitals and is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. Its signs are whitish pimples filled with liquid, itching and burning in the groin area. Scientists have been able to develop a vaccine that eliminates the genital virus in women, but the drug does not work on men.

Treatment

Treatment is prescribed by a doctor to avoid complications. To this day, no drug has been invented that completely destroys the virus; the drugs suppress its vital activity. Treatment will be reduced to a minimum if you begin to eliminate the source of inflammation in a timely manner. Recommendations for quickly getting rid of bubbles:

• applying a hot spoon;
• lubrication with toothpaste;
• sprinkling with powder;
• applying a tea bag, lotions of aloe juice, chamomile, laundry soap;
• treatment with garlic, onion juice, ethyl alcohol for disinfection;
• lubrication with fir and sunflower oil.

The best remedies are drugs based on Acyclovir, which are effective in combating the virus in the active stage. Medicines are used internally and externally and come in different forms: tablets, ointments, creams, gels. It is necessary to exclude provoking factors, monitor nutrition and lifestyle. Recovery should begin when redness appears; if the period is missed, medications are used when bubbles form, so as not to provoke new sores. When using alcohol, a 70% solution is required, applied every two hours.

Fact! Pregnant women should be attentive to the appearance of a sore and begin timely treatment so that herpes is not transmitted to the fetus in the womb. Before conceiving a child, it is recommended to be tested for the herpes virus.

A viral disease and a cold are not the same thing. If the first disease goes away on its own after complex treatment, it will take time to get rid of herpes. Once the virus enters the body, it is impossible to remove it; if treatment methods are ignored, complications will arise.

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Ways to fight the virus

If the herpes virus enters the body, it will remain there for life, and it is impossible to get rid of it. But this does not mean that a person will be sick all year round. The pathogen will begin to manifest itself only when the body’s defenses weaken. Therefore, we have to fight not with the agent itself, but with its clinical manifestations.

A herpetic rash on the lips is one of the most common phenomena when a person is infected with the herpes simplex virus. There are several ways to recover.

To combat the viral agent, the following are used:

• medicinal ointments and gels for topical use: Acyclovir, Zovirax, Penciclovir, Doconazole,
• antihistamines that actively relieve inflammation and itching: Tavegil, Suprastin, Claritin,
• ethyl alcohol for quick drying and disinfection,
• lotions with tea tree oil,
• multivitamin preparations that actively strengthen weakened immunity: Vitrum, Complivit, Multivit.

The sooner treatment is started, the sooner it will be possible to get rid of herpetic rash in the mouth and lips.

Basic Concepts

During the cold season, people often get colds due to weakened immunity. This concept includes all acute respiratory diseases that are accompanied by general malaise, cough, runny nose, and fever.

Herpes is an infection that almost every person has in a recessive state. When the immune system is weakened, the virus can manifest itself and become activated.

Is a cold on the lips always a herpes? Of course not. Both conditions proceed in almost the same way, but have different origins.

Is there a connection between herpes and coronavirus?

There is no reason to consider rashes on the lips or nose as obvious symptoms of a new COVID-19 infection. Moreover, there is an opinion that in a “herpes versus coronavirus” fight, it is the first opponent who wins. Due to the constant mutations that Covid-19 undergoes, it becomes powerless if a person has a herpes infection.

The herpes and coronavirus viruses are similar:

• transmission by airborne droplets or contact from person to person;
• the ability to occur latently, without clinical manifestations;
• people infected with these pathogens may be carriers before characteristic symptoms of the disease appear;
• long incubation period;
• After an illness, immunity in both cases is not developed.

Herpes is less dangerous for humans, since the most severe complication - encephalitis - occurs extremely rarely. The spread of ulcers to the cornea of ​​the eye, which can lead to blindness, is also rare and is typical for people with extreme immunodeficiency.

At the same time, the coronavirus remains on the mucous membranes of the nose and throat for a very short time - the microbes immediately enter the respiratory tract and descend into the pulmonary system. The disease is especially severe in older people - in them, coronavirus often develops into respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.

Important!

According to scientists, past coronavirus infection increases the risk of relapse of oral and nasal herpes.