Herpes on Tongue Pictures - 8 Photos & Images
Herpes on your tongue is just that: herpes. It is just one of the many forms of oral herpes caused by HSV-1. The only difference here is that it manifests on your tongue rather than on the lip area. And like the other forms of herpes infection, it will only last about 10 days or so before resolving itself. Like all the herpes infections (be it caused by HSV-1 or HSV-2), you are bound to have at the very least, one recurrence per year, especially at the early years of your herpes diagnosis. Herpes on your tongue is primarily caused by HSV-1 (sometimes even HSV-2), which is a DNA virus that primarily infects humans, and causes sores or watery blisters in either the skin or the mucus membranes found in the oral cavity. Several studies have supported the theory that this virus is spread through direct contact with an infected person during their ‘shedding’ period, or through use of a personal item owned by a virus carrier.
Other signs and symptoms associated with herpes on your tongue are only a few. In fact, the infection usually manifests as asymptomatic, and when there are symptoms, they usually only last for a few days.
The telltale sign you should look for in herpes tongue is the presence of a sore on the tongue area, although not all tongue sores must be considered as herpes.
Other symptoms of herpes on your tongue are:
1. Fever. Like many infections, herpes tongue causes your body to react by increasing its temperature above the normal range in an attempt to maintain normal body functions and indicate that you have an infection.
2. Malaise. Malaise is the first and foremost sign of an active infection and is the general feeling of discomfort and uneasiness.
3. Muscle Pain (Myalgia). Although this sign is not seen in the general population of herpes carriers, it can still manifest especially in individuals suffering from high cholesterol, depression, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and depression. This occurrence is also true for individuals taking drugs such as aspirin, Zocor, Crestor, Lipitor, and Baycol.
4. Itching and Burning (especially on the tongue). This most often occurs even before the appearance of sores on the infected site, preceding a cluster of blisters, which would eventually break down and be seen as shallow, gray ulceration on a red base. These ulcerations will then scab and become drier, changing its color to yellow.
5. Sores. Sores are primarily what cause pain and difficulty in drinking and eating. They particularly occur in the lips, the gums, the tongue, inside the cheeks, and even the roof of the mouth. Because of these sores, the neck lymph nodes will also become swollen and even painful.
Remember that unlike some infections, a herpes infection can persist in a latent form and reactivate during an outbreak. This may be triggered by a variety of causes like fatigue, stress, trauma, or a weakened immune system.
The development and appearance of these symptoms are of course, dependent on the state of the infected person. Some individuals, especially those enjoying healthy dispositions, could remain asymptomatic even when they already acquired the virus.
