Herpes Symptoms on the Nose

Herpes refers to a viral infection that usually spreads through sexual contact. HSV - 1 and HSV - 2 are the two viruses responsible for causing this sexually transmitted disease. The HSV - 1 infection strikes the mouth, hence it is often referred to as oral herpes. The symptoms of oral herpes usually do not remain confined to in and around mouth.

They can also affect the facial area, which includes the cheeks, forehead and the nose. Kissing an infected partner is the primary contributory factor in the transmission of oral herpes. Information about nasal herpes is given below:

So, what are the herpes symptoms on nose? They are no different when they appear inside the nose or on the mouth. Oral herpes are sometimes referred as cold sores as symptoms appear in the form of blisters. Symptoms are not noticed immediately after the virus is transmitted from the affected person. It may take as many as 20 days for the symptoms to appear once the person comes in contact with the virus.

Although cold sores are commonly associated with herpes, that is not the first symptom of nose herpes. Tingling or burning sensation is a precursor to the cold sores. The pain associated with this unusual sensation is mild to moderate and occurs 2-3 days before the cold sores actually start appearing. This phase is typically describes as persistent tingling feeling but with no visible signs of cold sore formation.

A person diagnosed with herpes infection that affects the facial area will definitely show blisters on the nose. If it were only blisters, then it wouldn't have been an issue but unfortunately formation of these small bumps is accompanied by painful sensation that keeps bothering for the entire duration of the infection.

Touching the blisters exacerbates the pain. These fluid filled blisters do not just occur on the nose but can also be seen inside the nose. So, scratching the nose or nose picking must be avoided in order to prevent pain from worsening.

The blisters may break open and then ooze out fluid. This is the weeping stage of herpes and is considered to be one of the most contagious phase. This is because the fluid that gushes out of the broken blisters is packed with millions of viruses. So, a person can easily catch the infection if he comes in direct contact with this oozing liquid.

The weeping phase goes away within a day and after that comes the scabbing stage. This stage is typically marked by hard yellowish crusty skin over the blistered area, which is a positive sign of healing. One should not try to remove the crusty matter forcibly as it may cause bleeding and prolong the healing time.

Constant itchy sensation is common in this phase but one should refrain from scratching the crusty skin as it may damage the hardened dark yellow skin. The skin eventually falls off within a week on its own without developing any scar.

Although this viral infection is recurring, it is relatively uncommon and the symptoms from recurrent attacks are less severe than their predecessors. Ensuring a strong and a healthy immune system and abstinence of sex with an infected partner is the best way to keep recurring herpes at bay.

On the whole, the aforementioned symptoms on the nose generally go away within a fortnight but in some cases a week's time is enough to clear away the infection even without any treatment.

However, treatment is recommended to ease the pain and speed up healing. Antiviral medicines often work to reduce the duration of healing when the herpes infection is its infancy stage.