When the virus gets into skin cells and starts to multiply, you may feel a throbbing or aching in the area. As herpes symptoms progress your skin may become red and sensitive, and then blisters or bumps may appear.The blisters first open, and then heal as new skin tissue forms. Flu-like symptoms are also common. These include swollen lymph glands, headache, muscle ache or a fever up to 102º F. Genital herpes may also infect the urethra, causing a burning sensation during urination. After the sores heal, they usually leave no lasting scars.

Herpes Inside Your Body

After a few days following the initial infection, and after each outbreak, the virus travels from your skin to nerve cells. There the virus sleeps, waiting in an inactive form. During this period, you'll show no symptoms and have no blisters or inflammation at all.

Hidden Danger: Herpes Asymptomatic Shedding

You should know that even when you don't see any symptoms of a herpes outbreak, it's still possible to spread the virus to others. Sometimes, the virus reproduces itself but not so strongly that it actually produces an outbreak. This is called "asymptomatic viral shedding." During this time, the live virus is actually on your skin near the area where you generally get outbreaks. So you can still pass the virus to another person even though you don't have an outbreak. One study estimates that almost 70% of the cases of genital herpes are spread through "asymptomatic viral shedding." Genital herpes is more likely to be spread this way than with a cold sore.

Herpes Returning Outbreaks

When an outbreak returns, something triggers the sleeping virus, such as stress, excessive sunlight, menstruation, vigorous sexual activity, or a worn-down immune system. The virus "awakes" in different people for different reasons, and the process behind it isn't fully understood. Once triggered, the herpes virus begins to multiply and your symptoms reappear, usually at the site of the original infection. The blisters generally heal in 7 to 10 days.

Both oral and genital herpes outbreaks can return. Some people have frequent outbreaks, while other people have them rarely. On average, people with genital herpes get about 3 or 4 outbreaks a year. Some 60 to 90% of people with genital herpes get returning outbreaks, while only 20 to 40% of people with cold sores get outbreaks.

The effects of herpes over time can vary from person to person. For many people, the initial genital herpes infection is the worst. A returning genital herpes outbreak is generally less severe because the body has developed some immunity. However for many, the severity of genital herpes outbreaks can be quite a hardship, thus we offer acyclovir, Valtrex and Zovirax prescription herpes medicine.