A 45 y/o female comes to your office with an annoying problem. Every couple mont

Question

A 45 y/o female comes to your office with an annoying problem. Every couple months she develops red blisters around her lips. After a few weeks, the burning blisters leak some yellowish fluid, and then they go away. She hasn’t been to the doctor in decades, since before she started being a groupie for Guns N’ Roses in the 1980’s. Once the band broke up, she became disillusioned with heavy rock and moved to upper Michigan to become a hermit. (a) What is causing this series of blisters (be specific) and what is the common name of the symptom? (b) When/How do you think she first contracted the agent? (c) Name at least two life circumstances that might cause the reactions to appear? (d) She tells you they typically appear in the exact same places each time. Explain in detail why this would happen. (e) How will you treat the affliction (stop symptoms)? (f) Will she ever be cured?

Explanation / Answer

(a) The series of blisters are caused due to the attack of herpes simplex virus 1, which causes oral herpes. This virus attacks the oral region and cause blisters around mouth, which generally proceeds by cold, fever and sore throat. The common name of this symptom is "cold sores."

b). Herpes is a contagious disease which transmit by contact with the virus by any means, like through direct oral contact, or indirectly through contagious hands, etc.

c). People suffering from HIV or other those suffering from other immune compromised conditions are likely to be affected by the virus.

d). The symptoms go always within few weeks though left untreated. The organism goes into dormant sat e and may become active again after few months, that’s why the symptoms appear repeatedly at the same region. The repeated symptoms most likely to occur if the patient is suffering from skin injury, Sun burn, excess physical activity, or other infections

e). As a part of treatment, anti viral drugs such as acyclovir, famicyclovir and valacyclovir are used.

f). Till now, there is no permanent cure for herpes simplex, but the symptoms go away without any treatment.

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