Scared! autoinoculation of face and hands

[Carly255]

Hey there, extremely worried i have infected my hands and face - what worries me most is i will now be more likely to infect my kids through sheding etc when holding hands or preparing food.

I am living in dread for the next few days wondering if i have already passed on the virus, i would really value your honest thoughts - i'd rather be realistic than naive about the situation! So here goes with my story...

So i was having a shower and washing my face (with my fingers and water only, no soap) when i felt a series of bumps on my forehead (not there yesterday night although i kind of think maybe i felt a tiny burning but not enough to take notice). I get cold sores on my lips and once before on my forehead.

Quickly rinsed out hair conditioner (with fingers) and patted dry my face to see yes sure enough a large group of small blisters on my forehead.

Rinsed my hands and patted dry body.

That was yesterday morning, this evening my face and hands were tingly all over and i'm pretty convinced that yes the virus is now all over face and all over hands - do you think the tingling could be autoinoculation?

Also, if hands now infected can i be entirely sure i can hold hands with kids (they might put their fingers straight into their mouths or eye if i don't see a blister or from sheding phase). I am truely scared for all our family.

So worried i have spread virus further around my body which will make it incredibly hard to not get in contact with hubby and kids.

[Concerned_mother1]

I too had a similar experience and the doctors have been very dismissive of my symptoms etc. I was diagnosed with hsv2 8yrs ago, and I'm sure I contracted hsv1 as a child. I have eczema on both hands , which could have allowed the virus to infect my hands... I also get burning on my arms, legs, and trunk.. When I tell the doc my symptoms, they're always dismissive.. I've resorted to wearing latex gloves whenever applying lotion to my body, and I try hard to not have direct contact with my skin when using my hands. This is a nightmare!!! I also fear infecting my 4month baby and my husband, the fear consumes me. But literally, each doc says it isn't hsv- dermatologist, infectious disease doc, & another dermatologist. I've had it biopsied, swabbed etc... They all keep saying that my eczema is progressing, but they can't explain the burning sensation/tingling etc.. Also, I haven't had much luck with the antiviral medication. Whenever I take it , I end up having an outbreak!
Please give us an update! I'm hoping you have good news, which can give me hope too.

[Carly255]

GracefromHHP yes i did tell doc about all symptoms - very dismissive of tingling face hands and scalp, just saying the active ob (on my forehead) can affect us in very strange ways.

Even though these are the parts i touched after touching my active ob, and that skin tingling is symptom of herpes.

[gracefromHHP]

the skin on the hands is thick and herpes rarely infects there. just rubbing over lesions in the shower wouldn't be enough to transmit the virus.

you are worrying needlessly.  did you see your provider for a proper work up for your hand tingling?

[Carly255]

And then i would expect it to react like a new infection, trying to replicate, either succeeding and forming blisters (within how long?) or retreating to reactive later or shed.

This is such a cruel virus - i just want to hold my kids and hands and know there is not even the slightest chance i've spread virus to hands.

[Carly255]

I think that if you wipe over a sore with your hand and a bit of water and then rub that is enough to force into nerve endings :(

[Carly255]

Hi thanks for your comments, i am still worried though...

Using both my bare hands in the shower i wiped right across the sore (blisters present) and continued to rub around my face for a quick clean, i did not use soap or wash away water, just patted dry when i realised there was a sore.

Then a day and a half later my face, scalp and hands are tingling (washed hair after face). my forehead sore was confirmed hsv1.
I'm struggling to see how it's not self-infection/spread of the virus to another part of my body? Argh this is so distressing and the tingling is still going on end of day 3 since morning shower :/

[gracefromHHP]

not likely this is hsv1 on your forehead either. it's a different nerve group from your oral area and hsv1 is rarely transmitted there.   see your provider and get a proper diagnosis of what is going on there.  

you didn't give yourself herpes on your hands.  any tingling going on isn't related to herpes and also needs proper follow up.

[Carly255]

Ok thank you thank you, I'm a little more reassured now!

[Life360_Dave]

No it does not work like that. Tingling means a sore is trying to develop but only in one spot not all over the place. Its trying to come up one nerve and your hands are not any issue for whitlow as needs a open sore to get in. Herpes gets into mucus membranes from direct contact.

[Carly255]

Thanks Life360, what I'm meaning is yes i have a current active breakout on my forehead as part of my usual cycle, but i then washed my face touching the breakout with my hands and moving across all my face using just water (no soap). I wonder if the tingling i now feel is the millions of virus' from this live active breakout infecting the skin on my hands and face.
Apologies i don't think i explained too well!

[Life360_Dave]

No. im saying if you have hsv, spreading it to another body area is highly unlikely because you have strong antibodies to prevent. If you have tingling in both hands its not herpes related as is side specific and also very very rare to get finger herpes.
Your face tingling i would say is not herpes related either as sore tend to break out in the same spot as prefers the path of least resistance so would be your lip.

Tingling is a sign of nerve issue. Did you lift something heavy lately or been resting your elbows for a long time on a table or something?

[Carly255]

Hmm, so would you say then that tingling could be my body's immune system hopefully fighting off the virus? That goes against catinbarefeet who says virus would be unlikely to get through the skin barrier anyway. Lots to stress about!

There is definate tingling going on all over both hands and face. Is it really that unlikely to be Autoinoculation? Must happen to people...

[Life360_Dave]

Most likely its hsv1 and you contracted it at childhood but you should confirm this. Spreading to your hands is not any big issues either as you have strong antibodies that would prevent this as well as other parts of your body. Children whose immune systems are at risk but is from kissing most often. Shedding does occur about 9-18% of the days evaluated so if your having frequent outbreaks you might want to go on suppressive therpy till your children or older. Its not spreat from objects.

[Carly255]

Hi all, really appreciate your responses, so helps to know there are people out there ready to help.

Had cold sores on lips for 15 years! Have been tested but not sure if it was type 1 or 2. I would so like to believe i cannot spread it around myself but the tingling sensation on my hands, face and scalp is absolutely making me fear the worst :'(

Done some reading which suggests soap and water kills the virus, but i think it's probably more that it washes it off. Not sure i did enough to wash it away and wasn't using my face wash that morning, damn it!

So i'm worried that from my reactivation on forehead i have now spread the virus to hands and all over face.

[catinbarefeet]

Hi honey - take a breath. You'll be fine.

First, how long have you had the virus? How long ago did you start getting cold sores? If it's been more than 4 months, you didn't transfer them anywhere new. The forehead blisters are likely from the same virus reactivating and causing an outbreak there. This is possible. However, it's not likely you have a new infection on your hands. The skin is pretty tough there, so unless you had a portal (cut, wound, tear) there when you first acquired the virus, you likely don't have herpes whitlow (herpes of the hands), and if you've had your cold sores a long time, you will likely never have herpes whitlow, as your antibodies will prevent that from happening.

HSV requires skin-to-skin contact with mucous membranes (mouth genitals) or portals in the skin (cuts, wounds, tears). As long as you don't kiss your kids on the mouth or on their boo boos, or touch their mucous membranes or wounds directly after touching your cold sores, you will not be transferring your HSV to them. There is also no documentation whatsoever of HSV being transmitted via inanimate objects.

I hope this helps!

[Life360_Dave]

Have your been tested for hsv1 and hsv2?

[Carly255]

Sorry that was a ramble, basically i get cold sores (one time on forehead), didn't notice another forehead infection before washing my face and hair.

Now next day tingling sensation on face, hands and scalp - do you think i have spread the virus around?

Would hate for this as i will constantly worry about holding kids hands and them kissing me on the cheek.
Thanks for reading, hope you can give me your opinions. Carly255

[Life360_Dave]

Hi, tell us more about what herpes you have and how you were diagnosed but will say that speading from hands is not any big issue as needs some direct contact with rubbing to force the virus into the nerve.