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What is dangerous about the appearance of herpes on the lips during pregnancy? Scope of necessary activities. What is herpes on the lips in pregnant women

Many women worry if even the slightest changes in the body begin to occur during pregnancy. Concern can be caused by an unexpected one that appears on the lips one morning.

To find out whether herpes poses a danger to the fetus, you should ask why it appears. If we talk without reference to pregnancy, then you can become infected with the virus in childhood. Subsequently, the development of the virus depends on immunity, living conditions and diseases. Then, depending on the individual characteristics of the body, herpes manifests itself in different ways. It happens that from time to time it appears on the lips, and in some people on the genitals. Most scientists believe that there are no people who are not infected with the herpes virus.

If herpes on the lips appears for the second time during pregnancy, then this is not very dangerous for the fetus, but there are cases when the rash appears for the first time - then the child may be in real danger.

If we look at the appearance of herpes during pregnancy from the other side, then such a rash leads to the formation of antibodies to it. This means that for six months after birth, the baby will be protected by immunity from the herpes virus.

It is difficult for modern medical science to say exactly how herpes on the lips during pregnancy will affect the child. Therefore, it is always better to be on the safe side and do more research if you want.

Herpes on the lips during pregnancy: treatment

In most cases, herpes on the lips during pregnancy indicates an exacerbation of the disease, so it must be treated. In this case, you should take into account your situation and abandon your usual medications.

If herpes in a pregnant woman manifests itself a second time (in a recurrent form), then doctors mainly prescribe antiviral ointments, for example Zovirax, alizarin or oxolinic ointments. Antiviral tablets for oral use during pregnancy are not used to treat herpes. That is, drugs taken in ordinary cases (Acyclovir, Penciclovir, Foskranet and the like) are prohibited while carrying a child! All of them can have a negative impact on the intrauterine development of the fetus.

However, there are also many folk remedies for herpes, for example, it is recommended to lubricate the rash with Corvalol solution or Forest Balm toothpaste. There are also various anti-herpes lipsticks with tea tree extract: reviews indicate that this also helps. If we talk about the simplest methods, then usually the bubble on the lips is lubricated with vegetable oil, Vaseline, sea buckthorn or rosehip oil helps a lot. The latter can also be used to treat the vagina.

In any case, you need to consult with your doctor: he will suggest the best treatment method for you and, perhaps, select vitamin preparations to boost immunity. In particular, when herpes worsens, the body's need for B vitamins increases; ginseng and other natural biologically active substances can be useful.

Herpes can and should be treated at any stage of pregnancy. Doctors assure that the sooner treatment is started in this case, the better.

If you get herpes on the lips during pregnancy, be sure to follow simple hygiene rules. This is very important to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the body. Herpes on the genitals is considered the most dangerous, so, firstly, do not touch the vesicle on your lips with your hands, this increases the risk of transmitting the infection. Also, do not wet the cold sores on your lips or squeeze them out, so as not to cause additional skin infection in this area of ​​the body. If you care about the health of your partner, doctors advise to refrain from oral-genital contact.

After childbirth, you also don’t need to be too careless, especially if you still have herpes on your lips. It is best when a woman maintains hygiene for the sake of the baby’s health. Basic actions - do not kiss the child and do not touch his body with your lips at all. To enhance safety, use the mask until the crusts are dry.

The health of your baby is yours and yours. Therefore, worry about the baby even when he is still in your womb. In most cases, women catch herpes during pregnancy due to their own carelessness; a strong kiss with a friend or unwashed hands after going out are some of the main reasons for the appearance of a “light” on your lips.

Especially for- Maryana Surma

From Guest

Bergamot oil will help with skin diseases: abscess, scabies, ulcers, herpes and acne. It is used for diseases of the respiratory system, such as tuberculosis, tonsillitis, bronchitis. Its use is not limited to this. Bad mood? And here bergamot will help. Just smell this wonderful fruit – and your mood will immediately rise and improve. For the same reason, bergamot is used in the treatment of stress and depression (for example, postpartum depression). Contraindications to the use of bergamot Bergamot contains furocoumarins. These substances have a photosensitizing property, which leads to severe pigmentation of the skin. Therefore, you should not rub yourself with bergamot oil in the summer or before going to the solarium. It is especially dangerous for allergy sufferers to use bergamot products. As for what concentration the essential oil should be, before use it must be diluted in a ratio of 1:10, since undiluted oil will lead to skin irritation.

From Guest

I have had herpes on my lips since childhood, it breaks out a couple of times a year (spring, autumn). Therefore, when I came out during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, I was not afraid. The best remedy for me is the usual Boro Plus ointment. 2-3 days, and everything heals. Health to everyone!

From Guest

At the beginning of pregnancy, herpes appeared on the lip. And until now it has never happened at all; the doctor said that the immune system is probably weakened. She told me to eat grapefruits and lubricate the wound with rosehip oil. It was very helpful and worked well.

Herpes is a virus that affects the majority of the world's population (98%) by the time they reach puberty. During pregnancy, women are impressionable and suspicious; they try to protect themselves from possible unforeseen situations. After reading discouraging information on the Internet, they worry for a long time until the gynecologist reassures the patient. Herpes on the lips during pregnancy should not upset a woman if it does not appear for the first time during this period.

In a normal state of immunity, the body's protective cells suppress its activity and control reproduction. It is impossible to get rid of it, it is present in all systems and fluids of the body, but medicine has learned to effectively deal with it. You can become infected with herpes:

  • from a person with active rashes when using general hygiene products;
  • upon contact through kisses, intimate relations;
  • by airborne droplets, if when a sick person talks, droplets of saliva fly out and land on the mucous membranes of a healthy person;
  • during the birth process. The virus is transmitted from mother to newborn if she has active rashes in the birth canal.

The symbiosis of the herpes virus and humans is comfortable for the latter; the disease is asymptomatic for a certain time until the immune system fails.

Occurs in the following cases:

  • stress, overwork;
  • bad habits;
  • hypothermia and colds;
  • avitaminosis;
  • taking medications;
  • hormonal fluctuations;
  • pregnancy.

Anyone who has had a herpes infection on the lips once will recognize the symptoms at an early stage when they reappear. The manifestations of viral rashes are identical for everyone: slight tingling and pinching, redness and swelling at the site of the disease, small itchy blisters filled with clear liquid appear. Rashes cause physical and aesthetic discomfort. The rash is localized in the corners of the mouth and on the upper lip. After 4-5 days, the swelling subsides and the blisters begin to dry out. On days 7-9 there will be no trace of the disease. If the blisters have spread to the skin around the lips, then the redness that persists for some time will be a reminder of the infection.

Inflammations from herpes, depending on the type, can appear on other parts of the body, including the genitals. The symptoms are standard: itching, swelling, blisters. Wherever the rashes appear, piercing or scratching them is strictly prohibited: the liquid contained in them contains a huge amount of active viruses that can get on household items and infect others.

What are the dangers during pregnancy?

The likelihood of encountering the virus for the first time in the first trimester is small, but it exists. The danger of herpes occurring on the lips during pregnancy occurs if the woman has not been sick before, then the infection is dangerous for the embryo. If a pregnant woman has previously treated the rash, then another relapse is not dangerous for either the unborn child or the mother.

If herpes appears on the lips for the first time in the first trimester, there is no need to panic. Perhaps the woman had previously dealt with the virus, but due to her strong immunity, it did not have the opportunity to manifest itself. Antibodies to the disease are present in the blood and will reliably protect the baby from complications.

If a rare case occurs and a woman encounters the virus for the first time in the 1st trimester of pregnancy or becomes infected from a partner during conception, the danger is that the pregnancy may end in miscarriage or miscarriage. With primary infection in the second trimester, the infection is relatively safe for the pregnant woman and the fetus, as effective therapy is prescribed. Primary infection with herpes in the 3rd trimester is fraught with some deviations in the development of internal organs for the child; doctors have learned to control possible complications.

Differences in types of herpes

Primary infection with the herpes virus cannot be distinguished from recurrent disease without laboratory testing of blood samples. The analysis determines the presence of antibodies to each strain of infection. When an active phase of the disease is detected, indicating a primary infection, antiviral therapy is prescribed to both sexual partners to reduce the likelihood of relapses.

If the diagnostic result reveals the presence of antibodies to the virus, the pregnant woman has already encountered herpes before, and a recurrence will not lead to serious deviations in the health and development of the baby. Transmission of the infection to a child is possible during childbirth, the probability is less than 1%.

Features of treatment in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester

Herpes blisters on the lips are treated at home with local antiviral drugs. Treatment is sufficient if the woman has previously encountered the virus. For primary infection, the treatment regimen is supplemented with other drugs.

Course of the disease Treatment
1st trimester, primary infection Before 12 weeks, drug treatment is contraindicated; local antiviral drugs are used to relieve unpleasant symptoms. The attending physician observes the patient and monitors the condition of the embryo. The chance of infection and miscarriage is 50%.
2nd trimester, primary infection The prognosis is favorable. In the 2nd trimester, medications that are contraindicated in early pregnancy and incompatible with it are acceptable in therapy.
3rd trimester, primary infection Treatment with immunomodulators and antiviral drugs prescribed by the attending physician. Contraindications are determined individually. There is a possibility of premature birth.

Herpes on the lips appears from certain strains of the virus, types 1 and 2.

They have the peculiarity of being located in the upper layers of the epidermis. They cannot penetrate the abdominal cavity and uterus unless they are “transplanted” onto the genitals, which occurs during oral sex with a partner who has rashes on the lips, or through other contact.

Review of safe tools

Labial herpes (rashes on the lips) in pregnant women is treated topically with the following drugs, available from pharmacies without a prescription:

  • acyclovir in the form of ointments, creams, gels;
  • iromontadine ointment;
  • alpizarin ointment;
  • oxolinic ointment;
  • Zovirax;
  • herpetad;
  • agerp;
  • Viferon;
  • virolex.

The drugs are aimed at suppressing the activity of viruses at the site of application. In some cases, an interferon solution is prescribed by injection. Treatment of lip herpes that appears during pregnancy involves taking pills to stimulate a woman’s immune system.

Herbal preparations that affect the general condition of the body and are prescribed by a doctor:

  • dietary supplements;
  • ginseng;
  • echinacea;
  • Eleutherococcus;
  • vitamin complexes.

After the blisters open and begin to dry out, balms or capsules with vitamin E (tocopherol, aevit) are applied to the lips to speed up healing. Traditional medicine claims that raw potatoes and calendula ointment have a positive effect on the speed of rash healing.

Possible consequences and prevention of occurrence

Getting sick while pregnant is fraught with complications of varying severity. Possible conditions for a woman include fever, weakness, lacrimation, and death of the embryo, which with primary infection in the first trimester has a 50% chance. In another 30% of cases, the fetus will survive, but will have developmental disorders that will accompany it throughout adult life. Perinatal mortality accounts for 60% of all full-term pregnancies; only 15% of newborns are born healthy.

Herpes on the lips can appear at any time, but there are several measures that can reduce or eliminate the likelihood of a herpes rash:

  • Before the first visible bubbles appear, it is worth smearing the area with tetracycline ointment or clindamycin. They will not kill the virus, but will prevent germs from entering the wound, reduce the inflammatory process and speed up the healing of the lips;

Herpes on the lip during pregnancy is an unpleasant phenomenon that many women encounter. Often, because of such a minor illness, a wonderful period in the life of every representative of the fair sex can be noticeably darkened. Often the appearance of such a disease causes a lot of anxiety in a woman who is preparing to become a mother in the near future. If in ordinary life such a manifestation only brings inconvenience, now the question arises: will the disease bring any negative consequences for the baby?

Should I worry?

Herpes on the lips during pregnancy also appears during transmission of the virus through bodily contact with a person who has been infected, by airborne droplets, and through household contact.

Is there any danger during infection?

Yes, if a primary infection occurs and herpes first appears on the lip. In this case, the fetus is truly in danger. If the body has not experienced this kind of illness, and the virus is already in the body, then it will not pose any threat to either the expectant mother or the unborn child.

Cold on the lip during pregnancy - what is the reason?

Before you begin to deal with such a manifestation, it is worth understanding why it arose and whether it is possible to minimize the likelihood of its occurrence in the future. The development of such an infection in pregnant women often occurs due to a noticeable decrease in immunity. This happens against the backdrop of factors such as:

  1. Existing chronic diseases.
  2. Noticeable fatigue.
  3. Severe hypothermia of the body.
  4. Noticeable lack of nutrients, microelements, vitamins.
  5. Hormone imbalance, which often occurs when expecting a baby.
  6. Using medications that may cause a cold.

In what types does the disease manifest itself?

Cold sores during pregnancy can have several manifestations. Naturally, it does not occur in any form. They can differ noticeably from each other, and ultimately affect both the course of the pregnancy itself and the development of the fetus as a whole.

If a woman expecting a child already had herpes rashes on her lips before pregnancy, then the probability of transmitting this virus to the fetus will be no more than 5%. If a woman did not come into contact with the herpes virus until she became pregnant, and the infection occurred while she was expecting a child, then the probability of a negative effect on the fetus immediately reaches 90%. Here you cannot do without medical help, because a timely response to such a manifestation can save the child’s life.

Doctors divide the existing manifestations of herpes into several types. These include:

  1. Primary form of the disease. It is carried out at the moment when a woman first becomes infected. It appears when the body does not have antibodies that can fight pathogens. Usually occurs at the moment when herpes on the lips appears for the first time during pregnancy, and the woman has not yet had it.
  2. Recurrent herpes. Infection occurs even before pregnancy. The disease manifests itself when immunity decreases, and symptoms of the disease appear accordingly. If you conduct a blood test at this time, you can note that there are herpes antibodies in the body.
  3. Asymptomatic transmission of the virus. In this case, the virus will spread inside the woman’s body, transmitted from cell to cell. At the same time, none of the symptoms of the disease will show themselves. It is possible that even herpes on the lip will not appear during pregnancy, but the woman may be infected.


How does herpes type 1 occur during pregnancy?

The manifestation of the disease on the lips, which can occur in pregnant women, is no different from that which usually appears in women who are not expecting a child. The basic difference is how exactly the disease will progress. The initial manifestation on the lips usually looks like a small rash. Less commonly, the disease manifests itself on the oral mucosa. Spots appear, which over time will transform into large bubbles containing liquid in their cavity.

A few more days will pass and they will burst. A crust will appear at the site of the injury. However, in addition to rashes, you can also track other diseases or intoxication, which include:

  1. Severe burning sensation in the area where it was damaged.
  2. Itching, swelling, discomfort and unpleasant sensation.
  3. Body temperature reaching 38 degrees.
  4. Severe muscle pain, aching sensation in the joints.

Other types of disease will not manifest themselves so acutely and will not cause intoxication of the body. However, it is possible that rashes may appear on the lips. Regardless of what kind of herpes appeared on the lip during pregnancy, and whether the pregnant woman was infected, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible. This ensures that future pregnancies will proceed without complications.

What is the main danger?

Herpes on the lip during pregnancy can be dangerous if a woman becomes infected before 12 weeks, that is, in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is here that the fetus itself is formed, and the virus penetrates both the blood of the pregnant woman and the blood of the fetus, spreading throughout the body. Once it reaches the placenta, there is a greater risk of harm to the developing baby.

The second trimester of pregnancy will be no less dangerous, because before 22 weeks there will also be a risk of pathologies. If the infection by the virus is severe, then there is a possibility of miscarriage, the formation of some kind of deformity, the appearance of signs of pneumonia and other abnormalities.

The third trimester of pregnancy will not be as dangerous as the first and second. In isolated cases, the virus will cause premature birth of a child, damage, abnormal development of the baby’s brain, or the birth of a stillborn fetus. These questions relate to cases of primary infection in a pregnant woman.

If a pregnant woman has previously suffered from such a disease, then re-infection will not occur. The expectant mother’s body has special antibodies that can easily protect the fetus from infection and prevent the manifestation of negative symptoms. In this case, a cold on the lip during pregnancy poses almost no danger.

What should pregnant women do?

Considering that the signs of herpes are immediately visible, especially in expectant mothers who have encountered such a disease, it is necessary to immediately begin to eradicate this manifestation. Initially, you should forget about self-medication, because a cold on the lip during pregnancy can be just as dangerous for babies as other diseases of the expectant mother. Only a gynecologist will be able to optimally prescribe treatment, based on what week of pregnancy the woman is in, what the activity of the virus is, at what stage of the disease and what type of virus is in the body.

Many medications are now contraindicated for pregnant women, in particular, this also applies to herpes medications. Therefore, it is necessary to select medications that will help eliminate the manifestation of the disease and not harm the unborn child. There are products that are available in the form of ointments, gels or creams for use on the skin. Tablets and other medications used internally are very rarely prescribed during pregnancy. Popular antiviral drugs are Acyclovir, Herpevir, Zovirax. They are applied to the place where inflammation occurs, and the active substance will not penetrate the blood and placenta, so such medications are suitable for treatment.

It is important to remember that in addition to medications, to fight the virus it is necessary to take vitamins, microelements, strengthen and improve immunity. Then the likelihood of disease and abnormal fetal development is minimized. A large role will be played by adequate and healthy sleep, strengthened immunity, and proper preparation of the diet of a pregnant woman.

The likelihood of herpes can also be minimized if you adhere to the rules of personal hygiene and do not pick off blisters and crusts that have formed. This can only cause more harm to both yourself and the unborn child and become self-infected again. If the disease is detected in time and its treatment is not started too late, it will disappear after a maximum of a week. Afterwards, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination again to make sure that everything is fine with the child; it is also necessary to be under the supervision of a doctor and constantly follow his recommendations.

To ensure that herpes infection does not become something unexpected, it is necessary to adhere to certain preventive measures, and they must be started before conceiving a child. These rules include:

  1. Donating blood for analysis and detection of herpes.
  2. Constant observance of personal hygiene rules.
  3. The right approach to planning a child, given that both parents must undergo a full examination.
  4. Maintaining immunity at a high level.
  5. Timely treatment of infectious and viral diseases.
  6. Hardening.
  7. Minimizing bad habits or completely abandoning them.

What should you know about contracting the disease?

There are some nuances that a woman who is already carrying a child or is just preparing to become a mother should know about the disease. There are three main points:

  1. Primary infection, which most often occurs through, spreads throughout the body. It can manifest itself not only with high fever, but also with a rash on the body. In fact, the mother has no immunity to this disease, so the virus spreads everywhere and affects any tissue. Immunity develops quite quickly, but in a short period of time the virus manifests itself in individual nerve cells or in certain areas of tissue and skin on the lips.
  2. If there is an immunodeficiency state in a pregnant woman, it is possible that the fetus may be affected by such a disease. When a virus infection occurs, the disease relapses. The virus cannot be contained in the tissues and cells of the mother’s body, because antibodies do not form immunity to it. When this happens, most often the fetus will become infected and eventually die. This condition is dangerous, because there is a high probability of death for the pregnant woman herself.
  3. Don't forget about genital herpes. Most often, infection occurs during sexual intercourse with a pregnant woman, and in the future the virus can then be transferred to the lips if we are talking about oral sex. Note that the consequences of genital herpes can be very dangerous for the unborn child. But practice shows that such a situation is unlikely. If the mother already has immunity to the virus that she was previously infected with, then re-infection with genital herpes is almost completely excluded.

Difficulties arise when we are talking about oral sex, and the pregnant woman has not “caught” the herpes virus before. In this case, there is a high probability of infection. If we are talking about genital herpes, then most likely the fetus will be infected, after which termination of pregnancy will be required.

The above cases- these are examples of how you will have to act and carry out treatment in one or another situation when visiting a doctor.

The appearance of herpes on the lips during pregnancy causes serious concern for almost every woman who is soon preparing to become a mother. If in other periods of life tingling blisters caused only some inconvenience, but did not cause much fear, then during pregnancy they can greatly frighten a woman (as practice shows, special concerns arise in cases where characteristic ulcers appear on the lips in the first trimester of pregnancy) .

The explanation for this anxiety is simple: after all, herpes is a viral disease, and many women believe that the virus can infect the fetus, leading to disturbances in its development. Therefore, for some, a cold on the lip is a reason to immediately consult a doctor, while others immediately seek to begin self-medication.

However, are such fears really justified?

Review: “Girls, who had herpes in the early stages? Usually I don’t pay any attention to him at all, but here we are in the twelfth week, I’m afraid it won’t be dangerous. It's a virus after all. A friend calmed me down, she said that on the lips it is harmless for the baby, but I still feel uneasy. Tell me, who had this, did any complications occur, what was the treatment?” From correspondence on the forum.

Indeed, the herpes simplex virus, which also causes colds on the lips, is known for its high teratogenicity (the ability to cause congenital deformities). If the fetus is affected in the early stages of pregnancy, the most severe disturbances in its development are possible, including microcephaly and serious heart defects. Primary infection of the mother during pregnancy often leads to fetal death and spontaneous miscarriages.

However, all of the above is relevant only for genital herpes, in which the virus is localized in tissues close to the placenta and birth canal. Here, during primary infection (and to a lesser extent during reactivation of the virus in the body), virions can infect the fetus. A cold on the lips does not threaten the fetus with such dangers, and only in extremely rare cases can it lead to undesirable consequences.

What can be dangerous about colds on the lips during pregnancy?

The relative harmlessness of labial herpes during pregnancy is explained by the tropism of the virus to nerve cells and only local spread in the body.

When you have a cold on the lips, viral particles actively multiply in skin cells and tissues that are not very deep underneath it. Those virions that infect the processes of nerve cells introduce their genetic material directly into their replication centers, located in the nerve ganglia far from the site of symptoms (usually this kind of “refuge” is the cells of the spinal cord, which, however, do not suffer seriously from this) .

The virus infects tissues only where its manifestations are visible. With a cold on the lips, it is the facial tissues and facial nerves that are affected, but viral particles do not penetrate into the abdominal cavity, and, especially, into the uterus with a developing embryo.

Two important consequences follow from these theoretical premises:

  1. A herpetic infection that appears on a woman’s lips is not dangerous to the fetus and cannot lead to its infection;
  2. In addition, the normal course of pregnancy is not disrupted in any way.

Therefore, in most cases, cold sores should not be a serious cause for concern for a pregnant woman.

Note: According to statistics, 90% of women aged 16 to 49 years have discovered herpetic rashes on their lips at least once in their lives. Every third pregnant woman experienced symptoms of labial herpes at one time or another.

However, in some situations, the development of a herpetic infection can pose a danger to a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. For example:

  1. When initially infected through the lips, the virus can spread throughout the body, causing generalized symptoms and rashes in different parts of the body. In this case, the mother’s body does not yet have a ready-made immune response to infection with the virus, and before immunity is formed, the infection can affect any tissue. Although in reality this almost never happens, since immunity is formed quite quickly, and in this short period of time the virus manages to infect only small areas of tissue on the lips and individual nerve cells;
  2. In the presence of immunodeficiency conditions, both primary infection with herpes and relapse of the disease can lead to damage to the fetus. This is due to the fact that the spread of the virus in tissues in such a situation is practically not restrained, and immunity to the virus is not formed. The course of the disease in the mother’s body, weakened by immunodeficiency, is fraught not only with damage and death of the fetus, but also with a fatal risk for the pregnant woman herself;
  3. With a cold on the lips, it is possible to infect the pregnant woman’s sexual partner, and subsequently transfer the virus from the lips (during oral sex) or the partner’s genitals to the genitals of the expectant mother. As a result, genital herpes may develop, the consequences of which for the fetus are very dangerous. However, such a situation is quite unlikely. If a pregnant woman already has immunity to the herpes simplex virus, then infection with it through the genitals is almost impossible.

The real danger is posed by a virus on the lips not of a pregnant woman, but of her sexual partner, provided that the woman herself has never had herpes before. Oral sex in this case can easily become the cause of primary infection with genital herpes with a high probability of damage to the fetus and termination of pregnancy.

Inadequate treatment of the disease can also be dangerous. Taking some medicinal antiherpetic drugs is sometimes much more harmful in its consequences than the disease itself, and therefore in many cases, when treating during gestation, it is necessary to limit oneself to only local remedies and symptomatic therapy. Moreover, with a cold on the lips, such measures are usually quite sufficient.

Review: “I will share my experience of treating herpes on the lips when I was pregnant. Everything appeared at 24 weeks. As usual, as soon as I saw the bubbles, I began to smear them with Acyclovir, and additionally used a lidocaine solution for pain relief. A day after starting to use the ointment, all the bubbles dried up and crusts formed. The pain went away, so I stopped using lidocaine. I didn’t take the usual Valtrex because the doctor forbade it. He was against Acyclovir, but he said that if you apply it for up to 4 days, then it’s ok. I smeared it for 3 days, then there was nothing to smear, and I treated the crusts with simple Aevit.” Sveta, Uman.

Deterioration in the health of the expectant mother during illness can affect the condition of the fetus. However, this effect is usually quite small. If a woman does not become seriously depressed about the ulcers on her lips and does not panic too much about the associated inconveniences in communication, then even a short-term increase in body temperature and headaches will not harm the embryo.

In other cases, the effect of lip ulcers on the pregnant woman’s body is minimal, and the infection does not threaten the fetus at all.

Onset of the disease in the first trimester

According to statistics, colds on the lips most often appear in the first trimester. This is due to the phenomenon of the so-called natural immunosuppression of the mother’s body (suppression of immunity) - in order to avoid rejection of a fetus that is not genetically identical to her.

It is known that relapses of herpes most often occur precisely when the immune system is weakened. In a normal state of the immune system, protective cells constantly destroy viral particles produced by infected nerve cells, and the infection exists in the body in a state of a kind of dynamic equilibrium that does not manifest itself in any symptoms.

Early in pregnancy, the interaction between the invading cells of the embryo and the maternal cells of the uterine lining is critical for the further development of the fetus. The attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus and the formation of its membranes, on the one hand, must be stimulated, and, on the other hand, strictly controlled by the depth of penetration into the endometrium. In addition, the fetus itself, as a carrier of paternal genes foreign to the mother’s body, must be protected from the immune system of the mother’s body by an appropriate immunosuppressive barrier.

Thus, in the early stages of pregnancy, functional immunosuppression develops, providing control over gestation without immunological conflict. Weakened immunity at this time does not always have enough resources to control the virions emerging from the cells, which successfully move (“roll down”) along the axons of nerve cells to peripheral tissues and re-infect them in those areas where the primary infection once occurred.

According to statistics, of all cases of herpes developing on the lips in pregnant women, more than 72% of relapses occur in the 1st trimester. This confirms the theoretical basis of the entire process.

At the same time, reactivation of a herpetic infection even in the early stages of pregnancy is not dangerous: the virus cannot spread beyond the tissues in contact with infected nerve cells, and the likelihood of the infection spreading to the abdominal cavity or genitals is almost zero.

Impact of infection in later pregnancy

In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, colds on the lips develop much less frequently than in the first weeks. The woman’s immunity is normalized, and the risk of developing a relapse of the disease is reduced.

An uninfected mother has the same risk of contracting the virus during this period as in early pregnancy. However, both in the 2nd trimester and in the third, herpes on a woman’s lips does not pose a danger to the fetus.

In the 3rd trimester, a cold on the lips is dangerous if it develops in parallel with the onset of labor and birth in the last week of gestation. A mother can easily infect her newborn baby by kissing him and caring for him with the hands that previously touched her lips.

Moreover, the most dangerous situation for a child is when the primary herpetic infection is asymptomatic, and the mother does not even suspect that she can infect the baby. In this case, the child does not receive antibodies from the mother in milk (since during the initial infection these antibodies are not yet in the mother’s body), and doctors cannot even assume that the mother may be the source of infection.

If the mother has already developed herpes before or during pregnancy, then the risk of infection of the child from the mother, even with characteristic rashes on the lips, is small.

Note: a pregnant woman with obvious signs of herpes on the lips may be sent to the infectious diseases department of the maternity hospital. Most women are afraid of this direction, and therefore in the 3rd trimester it is useful to follow the rules for the prevention of herpes as diligently as possible.

Primary infection

Primary infection of the lips with herpes during pregnancy is dangerous in three cases:

  1. The infection occurred in the last week of pregnancy - and the risk of neonatal infection of a newborn from a sick mother is very high;
  2. The mother has serious immunity problems;
  3. The pregnant woman and her sexual partner continue to practice oral sex. If the partner has not previously been infected, then there is a possibility of infection and transfer of the infection to the genitals of the expectant mother with the development of genital herpes. In this case, there is a high probability that infection of the fetus may occur in the early stages of pregnancy, and in the later stages a caesarean section will be indicated.

Primary infection more often than relapse occurs with a complicated clinical picture. In this case, normal symptoms are:

  1. A characteristic rash on the lips with severe pain;
  2. Increased body temperature;
  3. Headache;
  4. Nausea;
  5. General malaise.

In the hospital, blood tests can be taken from the pregnant woman, and based on the results of an immunological examination, it can be determined whether the infection is primary or recurrent. However, in practice this is done extremely rarely due to the harmlessness of colds on the lips for the fetus.

Sometimes the primary infection of a pregnant woman is asymptomatic, or the signs of the disease are blurred. For example, there may be no rash on the lips, but the patient’s general condition will temporarily worsen and her body temperature will rise. The frequency of asymptomatic herpes is approximately 43% of cases.

If a pregnant woman does not have immunodeficiency diseases, then even primary infection of the lips with herpes will most likely not harm the fetus.

Recurrence of herpes during gestation

Reactivation of the herpes simplex virus in the body of any healthy person in most cases is much milder than the initial infection. Generalized symptoms are almost never observed, and the rash on the lips spreads only over relatively small areas.

In more than 50% of cases in pregnant women, relapse is asymptomatic, and the women themselves do not even know about it. Such a relapse does not pose a risk to the fetus, since the mother’s existing immunity reliably protects the fetus from infection.

But treating herpes with certain drugs can have very serious consequences for the embryo. Therefore, doctors almost always recommend not treating herpes on the lips during pregnancy at all, or using only topical products.

Management of pregnancy and treatment of the disease during this period

Fundamentally, the tactics for treating colds on the lips during pregnancy are similar to the management of the disease outside the gestation period, differing only in a few nuances:

  1. During pregnancy, medications for systemic use are contraindicated - tablets Valtrex, Famvir, Zovirax, injection drug Foscarnet, etc.;
  2. Antiherpetic ointments should be used strictly with the permission of a gynecologist;
  3. Systemic means of symptomatic treatment are used only when absolutely necessary;
  4. If the disease appears frequently, you should undergo examination at a clinic and find out the cause of weakened immunity.

First-line drugs for the treatment of colds on the lips are ointments based on acyclovir - Acyclovir-Acri, Herperax, Zovirax and others, Panavir gel, Fenistil Pencivir, ointments of general antiviral action Viru-Merz Serol, Priora, Erazaban. Any ointment from this group acts locally, and its components practically do not penetrate into the blood. However, these drugs also have a risk of developing side effects, so they should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Review: “At the eighth week, herpes appeared. He was gone for three years, and then he appeared on you. At the pharmacy I took Zovirax - tablets and ointment, but did not use it immediately, but called the gynecologist. She immediately forbade me to take the pills and asked what herpes itself looked like. He looked bad, his entire upper lip was broken, even a little on the right side of his nose. The doctor allowed me to smear it, but said that if there were only a few bubbles, then I could do without it. After two days, all the blisters were covered with crusts and no longer hurt. But I applied it strictly according to the instructions for 5 days...” Alla, from correspondence on the forum.

Apply each of the above ointments to the affected surface in a thick layer, rubbing the product into the skin. As the product dries, the area with the ulcers needs to be smeared again. Treatment should continue for at least 5 days, even if the papules have crusted over and dried out.

The sooner the use of antiherpetic ointments is started, the less pronounced the unpleasant symptoms will be and the faster they will pass. If you start applying the ointment to the skin at the stage of characteristic tingling, then bubbles on the skin may not appear at all.

If severe pain occurs on the lips, they can be treated with products such as Menovazine or benzocaine ointment. Moisturizing lip creams protect the crusts from cracking, and some folk remedies such as aloe or sea buckthorn juices can enhance the effect of antiherpetic ointments. But the use of these drugs without antiviral therapy will have virtually no effect on the course of herpes.

To avoid consequences for the fetus and complications, it is necessary to support the immune system with a healthy diet and taking vitamin complexes, and abstain from oral sex. If herpes appeared in a pregnant woman in the last week and its symptoms have not completely disappeared even after childbirth, then you should not kiss the baby until the crusts are completely peeled off, and breastfeeding should be done in a cotton-gauze bandage.

Be healthy!

Useful video about the serious problems that the herpes virus can create for your sex life

How dangerous colds on the lips can be and how to treat them correctly

Having become infected with herpes once in a lifetime, a person already carries this virus in his body constantly, even after treatment. In women with the onset of pregnancy, the infection begins to progress and then the expectant mother asks many questions about the impact of this disease on the health and development of the embryo.

Herpes of the lips and the reasons for its manifestation in pregnant women

Herpes is an infectious disease that manifests itself as rashes that look like blisters in the lip area, accompanied by unpleasant painful sensations and itching. In the advanced stage, it completely covers the entire affected area, forming an extensive ulcer.

Infection occurs through the mucous membrane, where the virus changes the DNA of the damaged cell. Over time, the disease affects neighboring tissues and remains there forever.

This means that the virus, even after successful treatment, simply falls asleep and waits for the right moment to appear again.

The right moment for exacerbation of the disease may be:

  • chronic diseases;
  • stress;
  • intoxication of the whole body;
  • overwork and exhaustion;
  • a diet in which few vitamins enter the body;
  • severely weakened immune system.

The body of a pregnant woman during the period of bearing a child is influenced by hormonal changes, for this reason the immune system is also greatly weakened. Herpes of the lips is easily transmitted both by contact and by airborne droplets.

When a woman is pregnant, she becomes more vulnerable to this infection, which is why pregnancy and herpes often go together.

Symptoms of herpes during pregnancy

Simple herpes of the lips (which is called labial) can begin to manifest itself in the form of blistering rashes not only on the lips of a pregnant woman, but also on the cheeks and nose. In total, the symptoms determine 4 stages of such an infection:

  1. Rashes have not yet been observed, but itching and discomfort are felt at the site of infection. In rare cases, fever and malaise are noted.
  2. Swelling of the lips with blistering, painful rashes begins to appear. Every day the affected area expands its borders.
  3. After 5 - 7 days, the rashes rupture, and in their place a clear-colored liquid is released. This liquid is considered the most dangerous, as it contains viral embryos. In places where there were bubbles, ulcers form.
  4. In places where wounds were observed, crusts of purulent origin begin to appear, and if they are damaged, bleeding occurs. An exacerbation of herpes is considered a thing of the past after the disappearance of these crusts.

Is herpes on the lips dangerous and what could be the consequences during pregnancy?

A pregnant woman should not worry about the health of her baby when herpes labialis manifests itself, especially when the antibody level is normal. Infection (if it occurred before conception) helps the mother’s body to produce a sufficient amount of antibodies and the disease goes through all 4 stages.

The disease of labial herpes is not inherited; moreover, the antibodies that penetrate the baby through the placenta form his immunity to this virus. This does not mean that an infected father can have unhindered contact with his pregnant wife.

The consequences of herpes may be completely different when a woman I've never had it before and the first signs appeared only when pregnancy had already occurred. An infection that occurs during the first trimester can lead to fetal death!

Even if this does not happen, there remains a high probability of the development of defects, namely, the formation of the eyes and all cranial bones is disrupted.

Infection in the later stages (in the second and third trimester, especially at 37, 38 and 39 weeks) leads to serious delays in the development of the embryo and premature birth. There is also a great threat of infection of the baby during the birth period.

The presence of genital herpes becomes dangerous for the health of the baby and his pregnancy in general. It not only causes serious complications, but can also terminate a pregnancy at any stage of gestation. Before conception and during the entire period of gestation, it is simply necessary to undergo all tests for the presence of the herpes virus.

How to treat this type of herpes

Currently, there is no drug that will definitively combat herpes and all treatment is aimed at boosting immunity and suppressing the virus.
Since the special condition of a woman during pregnancy does not allow her to undergo treatment with antiviral drugs, which are usually prescribed, ointments are most often used in the fight against the disease:

  • Acyclovir;
  • Oxolinic;
  • Tebrofenovaya;
  • Tetracycline;
  • Alizarin;
  • Erythromycin.

Any of these ointments prescribed is applied directly to the area of ​​skin affected by herpes 5 times a day.

In some cases, it is possible to fight the disease with the help of cauterization. For this purpose, an interferon solution is prescribed, as well as vitamin E. The doctor will prescribe the number of procedures individually. To boost immunity, the patient undergoes immunoglobulin therapy.

In cases where the instructions for the prescribed medicine indicate that its use not advisable during pregnancy You should rely on your attending physician.

Sometimes a particular medicine can have less negative consequences than the underlying disease, and the doctor has to choose the lesser of two evils.