Is this Oral Herpes?

Ok thanks, I'll keep you updated.

Just posting an update. So it has been a week since the encounter and I have not gotten a fever or anything like that. Though I have had the same dull pain in the lip area which has been on and off, sometimes on the right side and sometimes on the left. Though I have noticed some 'bumps' on the inside of the bottom lip, they have been there for a few days but no blisters are visible, I am confused, I have attached a picture.

Hmmmm. Not the best picture. Could you do another with focus on the lesions? I don't like the fact you have anything at all even though you did not get all the symptoms mentioned. Sometimes things just don't proceed like in the textbooks. Eitherway, if it is herpetic, looks more like a seconday outbreak, rather than a new exposure, so I ask : Did you ever have oral cold sores before? 90 % of people carry the virus and this could all be coinsidence. Again, send better pic.

It is a bit hard to take a good picture, after forcing my lip in awkward positions this is what I managed to get, don't know if it is of any use...

I have gotten mouth ulcers before, in another place, not on the lips. I believe it is the first time I have noticed anything like this here. When I did get the other ulcers they just came and went in a few days-well within a week.(no tingling beforehand, not much pain either). So I am not really sure on this...

Those are much better pictures! The other ones must have just been shadow.

I see no ulcerative lesions consistent with herpes. Again, in a primary outbreak, the firstime exposed, usually all the symptoms we mentioned plus the ulcers are scattered over the entire oral surface and palate. In a secondary breakout, which occurs only in a proportion of infected individuals, the ulcers may occur in slightly different locations , but are generally limited to one nerve distribution of the face. And you are correct, often, in the secondary form, because the nerve is involved, one feels itching or burning, slight redness for several hours in that nerve before the waterfilled lesions appear in a cluster, later breaking to become ulcers. On regular skin , they will then scab over.

I suppose there is a very low risk that you have what is called a "subclinical" infection where your immune system is so strong that you do not show all the signs and symptoms like the textbook says. I don't know how you get your health care, but you could always see your healthcare provider and insist on a blood test for HSV-1 and 2. Remember that 90% of people carry the HSV-1 virus though.

Thanks for the reply. I am in the UK so am covered by the NHS but apparantly they tend to overlook herpes and avoid testing for it unless a person has very obvious symptoms (even then they only swab test?). It has pretty much been 8 days and this is all I have got, these sort of bumps that do not form into blisters, and a numb pain that sort of comes and goes any where along the lips. My lips do feel slightly dryer than normal as well.

As far as I can remember I have never had any sort of immensely painful blisters/bleeding in my mouth. So this is confusing.

Do you have some sort of time scale when this could get better? A few days or weeks? It is a bit annoying and it has been keeping me worried. Also you mention that 90% carry the virus, so the vast majority don't show symptoms?

Same in Canada. The blood test is available, but is rarely used. It is most often a clinical diagnosis. Even if a swab is used to support the diagnosis, one must swab a fresh, open, oozing base and transport the swab at 4 degrees C.  ie. it has a low sensitivity but is very specific if it is positive.

As to the 90% of people in NA having it, that data comes from older studies, but likely holds true. Often passed to children by their mothers with a kiss. The children get the stomatitis as the primary infection. Only 30 percent of adults will manifest recurrent herpes outbreaks.

I cannot really say when I believe your sensations will abate. I am not convinced you have HSV. Not really sure what's going on as it moves all about. Perhaps it's more dental? Or hopefully not neurological (don't mean to freak you out)

From what I have read it is still very common, especially in the UK. Any way what ever it is I hope I just recover from it. Today I feel normal, but maybe that is because I've been busy so haven't noticed anything... I'll update this discussion if I get any other symptoms.

From what I have read it is still very common, especially in the UK. Any way what ever it is I hope I just recover from it. Today I feel normal, but maybe that is because I've been busy so haven't noticed anything... I'll update this discussion if I get any other symptoms.

Oh and thanks for the advice! :-)

Np

Kinda feeling the same thing myself but symptoms are slightly fading away.