Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021. This reduces the chance of infecting the baby.įollow your health care provider's advice on how to care for your herpes symptoms at home.Ĭenters for Disease Control and Prevention website. If there is an outbreak around the time of delivery, a C-section will be recommended. Pregnant women with a history of herpes may be treated during the last month of pregnancy to reduce the chance of having an outbreak at the time of delivery.

Side effects are rare with acyclovir and valacyclovir.

It can also reduce the chance of giving herpes to someone else. This helps prevent outbreaks or shorten their length.

People who have many outbreaks may take these medicines daily over a period of time.

For repeat outbreaks, the medicine should be taken as soon as tingling, burning, or itching begins, or as soon as blisters appear.

They seem to work better during a first attack than in later outbreaks.

These medicines help relieve pain and discomfort during an outbreak by healing the sores more quickly.

Medicines that fight viruses (such as acyclovir or valacyclovir) may be prescribed. Over time, the number of outbreaks may decrease. It is most often less severe and it goes away sooner than the first outbreak.

Problems emptying the bladder that may require a urinary catheterĪ second outbreak can appear weeks or months later.

These ulcers crust over and heal in 7 to 14 days or more. When the blisters break, they leave shallow ulcers that are very painful.

Tongue, mouth, eyes, gums, lips, fingers, and other parts of the body (in both genders)īefore the blisters appear, there may be tingling, burning, itching, or pain at the site where the blisters will appear.

Penis, scrotum, around the anus, on the thighs or buttocks (in men).

Outer vaginal lips (labia), vagina, cervix, around the anus, and on the thighs or buttocks (in women).Genital symptoms include small, painful blisters filled with clear or straw-colored fluid.

Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the groin.

Muscle aches in the lower back, buttocks, thighs, or knees.This first outbreak most often happens within 2 days to 2 weeks of being infected. If signs and symptoms do occur during the first outbreak, they can be severe. Or they have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed or are mistaken for insect bites or another skin condition. Many people with genital herpes never have sores.

Can you get herpes from touching