What does herpes look like in children?

Parents may find herpes in their children to be a worrying condition. It frequently manifests as tiny, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, usually in the lips, nose, or mouth regions. Blisters can be uncomfortable and mistaken for other skin conditions.

It’s critical to recognize the early warning signs of herpes in children in order to treat the infection. Before the blisters form, there may be itching, burning, or tingling sensations. These symptoms are typically accompanied by a low-grade fever or swollen glands.

Herpes can spread quickly through intimate contact, so understanding what it looks like and how to treat it is essential to stopping its spread.

Children’s herpes typically manifests as tiny, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, most commonly around the lips or mouth, but it can also occur on the face or hands. These blisters can burst, creating sores that eventually crust over. They can also be painful or itchy. There are typically additional symptoms associated with the condition, such as fatigue, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. Despite its frightening appearance, childhood herpes is treatable with the right care and attention.

About the pathogen

For babies and young children, herpes can be extremely dangerous. It is far simpler for a child to recover from the illness without problems when they are older and their immune systems are more developed. A person contracts the virus only once in their lifetime. The disease persists in the body in a latent, or "dormant," state following the acute phase.

Until the immune system malfunctions, the herpes virus won’t manifest itself in any way. However, a child-virus carrier’s immunity will momentarily deteriorate and herpes will have ideal conditions for "awakening" and activation if he contracts a cold, experiences hypothermia or overheats in the sun, or becomes ill. Herpes viruses can only be weakened and the symptoms of the acute stage lessened; they cannot be totally eradicated or cured. The virus does not harm the child during the latent phase.

Physicians identify eight varieties of the herpes virus. First, the nasolabial triangle’s lips and skin are the only areas affected by the herpes simplex virus. The genital type is the second. The chickenpox virus is the third type of herpes virus. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, is the fourth type of herpes. Cytomegalovirus is the fifth type.

In adults, the sixth herpes virus causes multiple sclerosis; in children, it causes roseola. Although the seventh and eighth types have not been thoroughly investigated, physicians have good reason to think that they are responsible for the development of malignant tumors like lymphoma and sarcoma.

Symptoms

A characteristic watery rash that initially resembles individual vesicles before combining into a single plaque is indicative of a herpes infection. A crust forms, the rash bursts after a few days, and the liquid gradually drains away. The acute stage of almost all herpes virus types is characterized by an increase in temperature (which can reach 39.0–40.0 degrees), which is a sign of intoxication. The young person feels uncomfortable due to joint and muscle aches.

The acute stage of herpes is the most contagious. The child doesn’t really endanger others after the vesicles burst.

• Herpes on the lip or chin (sometimes on the nose) is simple herpes, which is considered the most common. With it, the affected area can vary – from a small fragment to impressive plaques. Usually it begins, like ARVI – with a rise in temperature, however, this symptom is not mandatory. Almost always in the place where the vesicles appear, a feeling of itching, tingling appears within a few hours. Sometimes the first or second type of virus causes herpetic dermatitis, which is most dangerous for children, since in infants, for example, it can cause not only skin lesions, but also herpetic vesicular lesions of the internal organs and nervous system.

• Genital herpes is almost always accompanied by fever, painful sensations in the places where the rash appears. These are the genitals, the anal area, sometimes the rash spreads to the buttocks, or rather, their lower part. Rarely, but this type of herpes can also affect the lips, but in this case, as a rule, the rash is duplicated by the same fragments of a watery rash in the genital area.
• With chickenpox, when infection with the third type of herpes virus occurs, it is the rash that allows you to correctly establish a diagnosis. It appears quickly, with each hour more and more new vesicles are recorded. The rash is pink spots on the body, which quickly turn into watery ones with a small pink border. The vesicles burst approximately on the 3-4th day, the crust falls off approximately on the 2-3rd week. The rash appears everywhere – on the face, arms and legs, on the stomach, back, in the scalp.

• After the disease, a stable lifelong immunity is developed, however, in a dormant state, the third herpes virus, under favorable conditions for itself (with a decrease in immunity), can cause herpes zoster. According to statistics, about 20% of people who have had chickenpox subsequently face the development of herpes zoster. The rash in this case affects only one part of the body, has the appearance of a strip, tape. In half of all cases, it is located in the chest and back. In every fifth case – on the cheek, head. Least often, stripes of rash are located on the neck and lower back.

• Herpes type 4, causing infectious mononucleosis, will manifest itself with a rash only on the 4-5th day after the onset of the disease. Until this moment, the baby will have fairly universal respiratory and general symptoms – fever, enlarged submandibular lymph nodes, redness in the throat, the appearance of a filmy coating on the tonsils. The rash can be quite varied, it is located on any part of the body, but most often on the hands, including palms, and on the face.
• With herpes type 5 the rash appears rarely, only in the case of cytomegalovirus infection. The rash is weakly expressed, usually it does not have a bright color. The disease proceeds, like other herpes infections, with an increase in temperature and an increase in lymph nodes, but it also has its own characteristic signs – joints are often affected, problems with the urinary system can be observed, which parents attribute to cystitis.

• Herpes type 6 begins, as an acute respiratory viral disease – with an increase in temperature. The rash appears only 4-5 days after the onset of fever. Infantile roseola (or sudden exanthema) is most often observed in children under 2 years of age. At an older age, this disease is much less common. The rash can be located on any part of the body, it has a characteristic pink color. It is noteworthy that the rash always appears within 24 hours after the baby"s body temperature drops and returns to normal. It goes away on its own in 7-8 days.
• Herpes types 7 and 8 are rarely accompanied by a rash, its symptoms are sluggish – the fever lasts for a long time (up to six months), the child gets tired faster, does not remember new information well, sleeps poorly, and his lymph nodes often enlarge. Among the malignant tumors that can be caused by these herpes viruses are Kaposi"s sarcoma, primary lymphoma.

• Herpetic sore throat, which can be caused by several types of herpes viruses, is manifested by the appearance of a characteristic rash on the tonsils, in the oral cavity, as well as a yellowish coating on the tongue, the inner surface of the cheeks, and on the tonsils. This type of sore throat is treated difficult and quite long. Complications associated with the spread of herpes from the throat to internal organs often occur.

Recognizing the signs of childhood herpes can assist parents in identifying symptoms early and pursuing appropriate treatment. Small, excruciating blisters that can form on the lips, cheeks, or other areas of the body are frequently the first signs and symptoms.

Herpes outbreaks can be frightening, but they can be controlled with the right treatment. Controlling the symptoms and stopping further spread can be achieved by cleaning the affected area and doing as directed by a healthcare professional.

Understanding stress management techniques and triggers can also help kids experience fewer outbreaks, making it easier for them to cope with their illness.

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