Herpes on the labia - a dangerous disease. A woman suffering from genital herpes, may pass it on to their sexual partners, as well as infect her child during delivery. But the most dangerous primary infection with genital herpes during pregnancy - it can lead to fetal abnormalities.

Herpes on the labia - Causes

What is genital herpes lips? This is one of the manifestations of genital (genital) herpes in women. The disease is caused primarily by the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), but sometimes with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The disease is highly contagious and is transmitted from person to person through sexual contact.

The symptoms of primary herpes labia

After contact with the mucous membranes of the genitals of HSV in a few days (the incubation period lasts from one day to three weeks) on the skin or mucous membranes of the external genitalia appear redness and swelling. During the day the swelling increases, and inflamed areas appear bubbles with clear content. They quickly coalesce to form larger bubbles, which then burst to form a large oval erosions. This erosion is usually very painful and heal for a long time, for two to three weeks.

Sometimes, while there are small vaginal discharge.

Herpes on the lips of the labia can be located both on the skin and mucous membranes. Herpes on the lip sometimes sex is one-sided, but nevertheless more common symmetrical rashes.

A feature of primary herpes is that the characteristic changes in the skin and mucous membranes of the external genitalia accompanied by symptoms of intoxication: a rise in temperature (usually to small numbers), malaise, headache, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

Herpes on the labia - the symptoms of relapse

After an initial herpes virus causing the disease becomes inactive and hides in the nerve ganglia of the lumbosacral plexus. It will remain inactive until yet not decrease immunity. Cause reduction of immunity may be any disease, hypothermia, toxicity and so on. Particularly rapid herpes virus is activated on a background of alcohol abuse.

Began a recurrence of genital herpes occurs not as sharp and long. Usually within the first year after infection relapses are most frequent, but gradually their number and duration are reduced - this indicates that the immune system begins to cope with the task.

How to confirm the diagnosis?

One appearance is sometimes difficult to diagnose, so the herpes genital lips shall be additional laboratory tests:

• swabs taken from the site of the lesion labia using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which detects the body's DNA virus HSV-I and HSV-II;
• blood by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) - detect antibodies to HSV-I and HSV-II; moreover, by means of ELISA can be differentiated primary and secondary herpes. In primary infection during the first week of class antibodies appear M (IgM - IgM), their number reaches a maximum in the second or third week of the disease. IgM disappear within 2-3 months after the onset of the disease. In some patients, they can be detected and when a chronic recurrent infection. From the second week of the disease begin to appear in the blood of antibodies to HSV-I and HSV-II class G (immunoglobulin G - IgG), which remain in the patient's blood for life.

Of great importance is the determination of the degree of maturity of class IgG antibody (the strength of their connection to the antigen, i.e. herpes virus). During primary infection IgG maturity is low and only a few months after infection maturity IgG becomes high. This allows a high degree of confidence to determine whether an acute herpes infection of primary or recurrent chronic process.

Treatment of herpes labia

In primary herpes labia necessarily prescribe a comprehensive treatment: Antiviral drugs for systemic effects (acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir), immunomodulators (viferon rectal suppositories), fortifying agents (vitamins A, E, C, B, micro and macro).

Outwardly also prescribe antiviral and strengthen immunity creams and gels: Creams acyclovir Acyclovir - as it is safe? , Zovirax Zovirax - time-proven antiviral drug , Liniment tsikloferon TSikloferon - restores the body's defenses Gel viferon and so on.

To reduce swelling and pain prescribe drugs such as diclofenac, Nurofen, ketorol. Local well help lotions from broth oak bark, chamomile and St. John's wort.

The main aim of the treatment of genital herpes is to strengthen immunity Strengthening the immune system - help the immune system   and suppression of herpes infection.

Galina Romanenko

Vaginitis in women of childbearing age is a consequence of a sexual infection or reduce the local immunity of the vaginal mucosa. The latter arises because of the suppression of the natural beneficial microflora of the vagina, which leads to activation of pathogenic microflora and the development of the inflammatory process.

What is vaginitis and their types

Vaginitis (colpitis) - is inflammation of the vaginal mucosa. Vaginitis is one of the most common diseases in women, which in turn are due to inadequate or delayed treatment can produce complications such as inflammation of internal genital organs - the uterus and its appendages (fallopian tubes and ovaries). And these diseases often cause a violation of childbearing women - infertility.

In children and older women often develop vulvovaginitis - inflammation of the vagina and vulva, as a consequence of the lack of beneficial effects on the microflora of ovarian function.

Vaginitis can be acute or chronic. According to their causes vaginitis divided into bacterial, fungal, protozoal. Predisposing factors for the development of vaginitis may be any disease or injury, which leads to reduction in the overall and local (mucosal vagina) immunity.

Causes of vaginitis

Development vaginitis can reduce the endocrine ovarian function, or personal hygiene, some gynecological disorders (dehiscence genital slit, the omission of the walls of the vagina, urinary fistulas, tumors, etc.), changes in the vaginal mucosa, caused under the influence of mechanical, chemical, thermal effects, as well as reduction in total and local immunity.

• Genital infections as a major cause of vaginitis

Infections, sexually transmitted infections, often cause inflammation of the vagina in women. These infections include trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and other diseases. Most often suffer from diseases such women, who often change their sexual partners and do not comply with sexual health. This does not exclude women from infection and regular sexual partner.

The peculiarity of genital infections in women is that the acute phase of the disease is not always pronounced, as a result of a woman can simply not pay enough attention to the symptoms of infection or attempt to heal itself. This leads to the fact that the infection is "hidden" and the inflammation becomes chronic with a propensity to spread overlying urogenital organs.

The same blurred for genital infections can be men, that is why gynecologists and dermatovenereologists always trying not only to treat a woman, but also to identify the source of infection and treat female sexual partner.

• Immunosuppression - least common cause of vaginitis

On the mucous membranes of the external genitalia of women inhabit very different microflora, which are divided into normal or useful and opportunistic. Useful vaginal flora of women of childbearing age is influenced by the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries, and consists essentially of lactobacilli excreting lactic acid Lactic acid - shows our health . The acidic environment of the vagina prevents substantial reproduction of conditionally pathogenic, which is also present on the walls of the vagina.

Inhibition of normal vaginal microflora The microflora of the vagina: purity   always leads to a proliferation of opportunistic. Such a condition may cause the uncontrolled use of antibiotics Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future? , Antiseptics, topical (vaginal suppositories, creams with antiseptics, solutions for irrigation) and spermicides (substances that deplete the sperm, which are part of contraceptives for local use - they are both antiseptics).

Matters reduction and general immunity, which may develop on the background of long flowing chronic diseases. Very often vaginitis develop in exchange-endocrine diseases - diabetes Diabetes - threatening and incurable disease , Obesity, various diseases of the other endocrine glands. All these diseases contribute to the reduction of general immunity and reproduction of pathogenic microflora.

Vaginitis in all these cases may be caused by pathogenic microflora. Very often, they are fungal in nature and caused by the yeast Candida genus. Bacterial vaginitis caused by non-specific different types of staphylococcus, streptococcus, E. coli and other pathogens belonging to the pathogenic microflora.

Causes of vaginitis may be different, but they all require timely detection and elimination.

Galina Romanenko