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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Herpes / May 2005How long does it take to get herpes?
I don't 'yet' have herpes. I just met this guy and we were kissing in his car tonight. It was dark and I didn't look at his mouth but after we kissed for nearly an hour, and I mean deep mouth kissing, I looked at him in the light. I saw that he had what looked like an almost healed (but still a scab) coldsore on his lip! It was red on the lower lip and there was this whitish flaking stuff near the red area on the lip and my lips touched that!!!! Does this mean that I am going to get herpes? How long will it take before I get it and how will I know? I am sick to my stomach now. CJ >I don't 'yet' have herpes. How do you know? >I just met this guy and we were kissing in his >car tonight. It was dark and I didn't look at his mouth but after we kissed You didn't see the guy until you'd been kissing for an hour? >for nearly an hour, and I mean deep mouth kissing, I looked at him in the >light. I saw that he had what looked like an almost healed (but still a >scab) coldsore on his lip! It was red on the lower lip and there was this >whitish flaking stuff near the red area on the lip and my lips touched >that!!!! Does this mean that I am going to get herpes? How long will it take >before I get it and how will I know? I am sick to my stomach now. Three days to three weeks is the usual incubation period. A lot of people never experience outward signs of the disease, or experience them so mildly as to be ignored or mistaken for something else, though the disease is still communicable, whether one knows one has it or not. Take care, Mike Okay, to answer a few questions. I have never had cold sores before or anything in the other areas. The guy I met was in a club and it was kind of dark and we went to his car and did some pretty deep kissing. I turned on the map light on his car and saw that there was a cold sore on his bottom lip and it was just a small red thing with some white flakes near it, but it wasnt big, and looked like it was healing. Is it still contagious if it is almost healing? Now, maybe this is a coincidence, but this morning I woke up with a sore throat and felt achy and tired. I was reading about some symptoms and I also noticed that I have some twinging sensations near my lips and my mouth has some things that are like canker sores, but not really. They are on the gums and inner cheek and look more like red areas that are raw and sore looking. I didnt see any coldsores on my lips, but now I am nervous if I have herpes. How long will it take for the cold sores to come out if I am already feeling like this and lets say I did get it from him? CJ >Is it still contagious if it is almost healing? Possibly, but even if he was contagious, there's no guarantee you've been infected. Like any other virus, a cold for instance, even when you're exposed to it, you may contract it or you may not (although a cold virus is airborne so is much more contagious than Herpes). >my mouth has >some things that are like canker sores, but not really. They are on the gums >and inner cheek and look more like red areas that are raw and sore looking. Sores inside the mouth are less likely to be Herpes. Probably something else. >if I have herpes. >How long will it take for the cold sores to come out if I am already feeling >like this Lots of people experience prodrome 3-4 days before they see an outbreak. Sometimes the outbreak can be immediate though. And sometimes the outbreak never happens. There's no set pattern. Everybody and even every episode can be different. M2 > I don't 'yet' have herpes. I just met this guy and we were kissing in his > car tonight. It was dark and I didn't look at his mouth but after we kissed [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > CJ Somewhere around 50-80% of this country "has" oral herpes. Although you obviously may worry about whatever you want, it's not something I personally would worry about contracting, but by all means talk to your doctor about it if you desire to do so. I may even have it and not know, as I can't ever remember having had a cold sore. In very very rare cases, particularly in those with compromised immune systems (e.g., very young babies), oral herpes can be dangerous as it can infect the brain (the virus "lives" or is located near the base of the brain). But, just because you have oral herpes doesn't mean you'll have cold sores all the time or ever, and just because you do get cold sores doesn't mean you necessarily *had* to get them because you had oral herpes. For example, if you're constantly stressed out, eat mainy processed foods (e.g., not many vegetables/fruit) etc., then you probably have an increased risk (all else equal) of getting a cold sore, assuming you have oral herpes. More people seem to have harder times with them in the winter as well. You obviously can worry about whether or not you contracted it if you'd like, but the better approach in my mind honestly is to assume most people have it (as most people *do* have it) and simply not worry too much about it, unless you have a compromised immune system. Chances are you'd be exposed to it at some point in your life anyway and have probably already been exposed to it, although perhaps you haven't/hadn't. In short, people make too big a deal about herpes, both genital and oral, period. The ignorance of the world actually is what makes getting the virus so bad for I'd say 95% of those who get it. There are a few who experience long-term, chronic breakouts...just as there are those who have problems with warts on hands/genitals, etc... some people have weaker immune systems than others, and some just don't take care of themselves, or perhaps some people's immune system is not weak at all and just fine and something else causes them to have long-term problems...who knows... I'm not a doctor, so all of this is just a layman's take on herpes anyway. x...@hotmail.com wrote: <snip> > In short, people make too big a deal about herpes, both genital and > oral, period. The ignorance of the world actually is what makes > getting the virus so bad for I'd say 95% of those who get it. <snip> I should add that there's --what I, at least, would call-- a double standard when it comes to oral herpes vs. genital herpes in the general public. I don't think oral herpes comes close to carrying the stigma that genital herpes does, so perhaps that's why most people in this country (although perhaps not the people in here) think it's "wrong" not mention genital herpes to a new lover but don't really think much when you don't mention that you've ever had a past cold sore in your life. That's the impression I get anyway. I think its a valid impression. I know that cold sores are acceptable it seems, but go and mention you have genital herpes and forget about it! I already know well what it feels like to be an outcast after telling some family members I probably shouldn't have. I was at a family function recently and I got a couple of snide remarks from some people who must have heard through the 'grape vine'. So in short, even though its starting to become acceptable, I think you should be careful who you talk about it to. I am dating a person who also has genital herpes so it makes it easier for both of us, other than that, no one really has to know. > I should add that there's --what I, at least, would call-- a double > standard when it comes to oral herpes vs. genital herpes in the general [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > That's the impression I get anyway. |
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