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HSV in the toe
Hi,
I am guilt ridden with the fact that I caused my poor son to get HSV in his toe. He contracted the virus from me when he was almost 12 months old - I had clipped a nail on his big toe a bit too short and shortly after put his foot on my mouth while I was breastfeeding him. Although I didn't have outbreak at the time, I am assuming he got it from me because I do in fact get cold sores. When he first broke out (an awful sight) I had his toe cultured and it did in fact come back positive.
I have to live with the fact that he will have to take acyclovir for the rest of his life, whenever he has an outbreak. But I am wondering if the virus may subside in time? He is three now, and seems to get outbreaks at least twice a year. It used to only be on his Left big toe, but this last one seemed to migrate to his Right big toe.
My questions are: 1 - Where exactly are the nerves the virus is in - can I expect to see an outbreak in any of his toes? In his feet? 2- Can it? Will it? Ever get better? I am so broken about this -
Someday, I will have to tell him I am the reason he has to limp around and take that awful medicine a few times a year.
Please Help.
I am guilt ridden with the fact that I caused my poor son to get HSV in his toe. He contracted the virus from me when he was almost 12 months old - I had clipped a nail on his big toe a bit too short and shortly after put his foot on my mouth while I was breastfeeding him. Although I didn't have outbreak at the time, I am assuming he got it from me because I do in fact get cold sores. When he first broke out (an awful sight) I had his toe cultured and it did in fact come back positive.
I have to live with the fact that he will have to take acyclovir for the rest of his life, whenever he has an outbreak. But I am wondering if the virus may subside in time? He is three now, and seems to get outbreaks at least twice a year. It used to only be on his Left big toe, but this last one seemed to migrate to his Right big toe.
My questions are: 1 - Where exactly are the nerves the virus is in - can I expect to see an outbreak in any of his toes? In his feet? 2- Can it? Will it? Ever get better? I am so broken about this -
Someday, I will have to tell him I am the reason he has to limp around and take that awful medicine a few times a year.
Please Help.
Odds are that as time goes by, your son will have few recurrences. Right now he is young and his immune system isn't full functioning like it will as an adult. It will get better over time.
You need to let go of this guilt you are carrying around!! Unfortunately most of us are raised to think that kissing it will make it better - no one tells us that it is not a good thing to do for any injury :( You did the best with what you knew, this was certainly not the worst thing that will ever happen to your son.
When he starts to complain of pain in his toe like a recurrence might be starting, give him his acyclovir asap so it can help to ward off a full blown recurrence. He only needs to take it for 2 days, 3 times a day. You also can do soaks in domboro's solution when he has lesions to help speed healing too.
grace
You need to let go of this guilt you are carrying around!! Unfortunately most of us are raised to think that kissing it will make it better - no one tells us that it is not a good thing to do for any injury :( You did the best with what you knew, this was certainly not the worst thing that will ever happen to your son.
When he starts to complain of pain in his toe like a recurrence might be starting, give him his acyclovir asap so it can help to ward off a full blown recurrence. He only needs to take it for 2 days, 3 times a day. You also can do soaks in domboro's solution when he has lesions to help speed healing too.
grace
Nothing of the sort here.
This might seem a strange thing to say, but the foot is absolutely the best spot to ever be infected with HSV1!
Within a couple of months, it will be all clear and he is unlikely ever to have another outbreak in his life. Further he is unlikely if ever to be infectious from his foot area. Better still, he is also extremely unlikely ever to become infected elsewhere on his body (such as the more concerning oral and genital regions).
Your son does not need antivirals and nor will he experience a physical difficulty in his foot.
Stick with it, all of the above will be true I'm sure.
This might seem a strange thing to say, but the foot is absolutely the best spot to ever be infected with HSV1!
Within a couple of months, it will be all clear and he is unlikely ever to have another outbreak in his life. Further he is unlikely if ever to be infectious from his foot area. Better still, he is also extremely unlikely ever to become infected elsewhere on his body (such as the more concerning oral and genital regions).
Your son does not need antivirals and nor will he experience a physical difficulty in his foot.
Stick with it, all of the above will be true I'm sure.
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
