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bell's palsy and hsv
I have read that there is an association with hsv-1 reactivation and Bell's Palsy. Do you ever see Bell's Palsy during the course of a primary hsv infection? My 26 y.o. son is awaiting test results after hsv genital type symptoms from a sexual encounter of about 20 days ago. He was negative for IgG hsv-1 and 2 but positive for hsv IgM (which I gather is nonspecifc for hsv 1 or 2) He has had some mild skin changes (about 2 cm.) after two weeks on his scrotum that have not really progressed. He has seen an infectious disease specialist and is under good care and started Valtrex for the genital lesion. He also complains about left sided facial skin "tingling" without any other obvious facial changes. It has not progressed in 5 days of symptoms? Any thoughts?
thanks
thanks
He can continue to follow up on this with his regular provider if you are back at home. Tingling in the face can be many things. It could be zoster but that's fairly rare in otherwise healthy folks his age too.
Skin changes that don't change at all in 2 weeks isn't likely to be due to herpes anyways in his genital area. He'll need to repeat his blood test in 4 months after the encounter or if he gets a new crop of lesions genitally he should go within 24-48 hours for a lesion culture and typing. I certainly wouldn't assume he has genital herpes based on what you've posted so far.
grace
Skin changes that don't change at all in 2 weeks isn't likely to be due to herpes anyways in his genital area. He'll need to repeat his blood test in 4 months after the encounter or if he gets a new crop of lesions genitally he should go within 24-48 hours for a lesion culture and typing. I certainly wouldn't assume he has genital herpes based on what you've posted so far.
grace
thx for your response.
He did not get a culture. We were out of town at the time and thought it would not be harmful to start treatment. Perhaps the facial stuff is something like zoster activated by all the stress around contracting genital hsv. It has not gotten any worse in the past week but he is afraid of what it may portend. Do you think the facial sx's are too early to be related to the primary possible hsv infection of July 2?
He did not get a culture. We were out of town at the time and thought it would not be harmful to start treatment. Perhaps the facial stuff is something like zoster activated by all the stress around contracting genital hsv. It has not gotten any worse in the past week but he is afraid of what it may portend. Do you think the facial sx's are too early to be related to the primary possible hsv infection of July 2?
it's doubtful this is bell's on his face.
The igm is not of use as you already know. Did the ID doc get a culture of the skin changes at all before they started valtrex?
grace
The igm is not of use as you already know. Did the ID doc get a culture of the skin changes at all before they started valtrex?
grace
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
