LASIK Surgery Health Chat: Tuesday, December 15th 5:00-6:00 PM Eastern. Free live Q&A with Dr. Omar E Awad. Ask your question in advance!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Contradictory herpes information
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
Contradictory herpes information
by joe33, Jun 17, 2004 12:00AM
There seems to be a lot of contradictory herpes information on the web. Many sites suggest that it can look like virtually anything.
Over the past few years, I've driven my family doctor as well as my dermatologist pretty crazy with this. I am a very rational educated professional but I don't seem to be very rational when it comes to this. Every time I get any redness, which is never accompanied by pain or itching, I feel compelled to see the doctor.
Both physicians have told me time and again that herpes = blisters. It can be accompanied by redness, but that, they have said, is not enough in and of itself. Is this basically true?
I feel foolish still worrying when several physicians have told me not to be concerned. But some of the information out there says that herpes can be anything from a mild rash to full-out blistering, and that many times doctors mis-diagnose it. My doctor told me that while reoccurances can be milder, a first occurance will display blistering and possibly other symptoms.
I can tell from reading some of your other posts that you get this question often. My doctor told me to stop self-diagnosing, and redness alone is nothing to worry about. Do you agree with that, and can you tell me why some of the information I've been seeing on the web is so contradictory to what I've been told by physicians?
I've literally had about a dozen diagnoses of dermatitis or folliculitis, never herpes, and I can't keep running back to the doctors all the time. I'm starting to feel silly...
Thanks.
Over the past few years, I've driven my family doctor as well as my dermatologist pretty crazy with this. I am a very rational educated professional but I don't seem to be very rational when it comes to this. Every time I get any redness, which is never accompanied by pain or itching, I feel compelled to see the doctor.
Both physicians have told me time and again that herpes = blisters. It can be accompanied by redness, but that, they have said, is not enough in and of itself. Is this basically true?
I feel foolish still worrying when several physicians have told me not to be concerned. But some of the information out there says that herpes can be anything from a mild rash to full-out blistering, and that many times doctors mis-diagnose it. My doctor told me that while reoccurances can be milder, a first occurance will display blistering and possibly other symptoms.
I can tell from reading some of your other posts that you get this question often. My doctor told me to stop self-diagnosing, and redness alone is nothing to worry about. Do you agree with that, and can you tell me why some of the information I've been seeing on the web is so contradictory to what I've been told by physicians?
I've literally had about a dozen diagnoses of dermatitis or folliculitis, never herpes, and I can't keep running back to the doctors all the time. I'm starting to feel silly...
Thanks.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Jun 17, 2004 12:00AM
, Jun 17, 2004 12:00AM
Herpes causes blisters, not redness.
Having said that, there are always atypical presentations of every disease. Herpes can on rare occasions look different from the classic presentation. The way to cut through the obsessive worry such uncommon exceptions can generate is to get proper physical diagnosis--you already did that--and to supplement it with herpes blood testing, using one of the newer, glycoprotein-based blood tests. Do yourself a favor and get one. And consider getting some counseling as well, to help you (and your family) past this obsessive concern.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Having said that, there are always atypical presentations of every disease. Herpes can on rare occasions look different from the classic presentation. The way to cut through the obsessive worry such uncommon exceptions can generate is to get proper physical diagnosis--you already did that--and to supplement it with herpes blood testing, using one of the newer, glycoprotein-based blood tests. Do yourself a favor and get one. And consider getting some counseling as well, to help you (and your family) past this obsessive concern.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
