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Home Remedies What causes herpes?

What Causes Herpes?

It is a skin condition caused by certain viruses called herpes virus. What causes herpes, are more than 100 varieties of viruses affecting animal species. All these viruses are from the Herpesviridae family. They all have certain common characteristics; most predominant among them is their ability to establish latency during primary infection.

Latency means the herpes virus lies dormant for periods of time after initial infection. It hides within the cells in the body to protect itself from the antibodies produced by the immune system. They remain inactive for years and during this latency the virus does not replicate or travel within the body.

Viruses Causes Herpes!

Most viruses are sub-cellular organisms. They are mostly dormant or may even die when they are outside of a living cell. However when they enter a cell, they take over its metabolism and replicate.

There are two types of Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV), HSV 1 and HSV 2 when get activated causes herpes in humans.

What Causes Herpes Virus to Become Active?

Following are the most common triggers that activate the dormant virus.

  • stress,
  • illness,
  • poor nutrition,
  • excessive activity
  • Excessive sunlight coupled with a weakened immune system,

HSV-1 is the virus that causes cold sores on the lips or face. People get this infection during childhood but it can be transmitted at any age. Though a very small portion of the infected people show symptoms such as cold sores but it is statistically staggering number that about 80% of adults have HSV-1 by the time they are 25.

HSV-2 causes most genital herpes and is transmitted through sexual contact. The active period is some times not obvious with symptoms but the skin cells are shedding the virus. It is this period the virus inadvertently get transmitted to the other partner.

Same Virus Causes Herpes and Cold Sore.

As seen above generally one type causes cod sores and the other genital Herpes. A person affected by one type of virus is more vulnerable to get the other type. Therefore, caution must be exerted to avoid outbreaks of either cold sores or herpes. Can herpes be cured?

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