Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Is It Possible For Herpes HSV-1 Infection To Spread From Lips To Eyes?
Question: I was wondering if it is possible for herpes HSV-1 to spread from my lip to my eyes or other parts of my own body through my nervous system? Or can it only spread if i rub my finger on my lip then rub my eye? Not sure if this is an STD specialist quesion or Opthalmologist specialist question.
Brief Answer:
It can spread through fingers or close contact.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care Magic
I am Dr. Dadapeer an ophthalmologist and I will be answering your question.
I reviewed your history.
HSV infection is because of reactivation of dormant infection. This reactivation occurs because of stress, fever....
The active lesions affecting the skin are infective and can spread by close contact.
Hence it can spread by rubbing fingers to others and also other parts like eyes.
HSV spreading to other parts by nervous system is rare and is almost not possible. The reactivation of infection is limited to one dermatome supplied by one nerve and will not involve the other dermatome.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
It can spread through fingers or close contact.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care Magic
I am Dr. Dadapeer an ophthalmologist and I will be answering your question.
I reviewed your history.
HSV infection is because of reactivation of dormant infection. This reactivation occurs because of stress, fever....
The active lesions affecting the skin are infective and can spread by close contact.
Hence it can spread by rubbing fingers to others and also other parts like eyes.
HSV spreading to other parts by nervous system is rare and is almost not possible. The reactivation of infection is limited to one dermatome supplied by one nerve and will not involve the other dermatome.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So it will only affect my eyes if i physically put it there Another concern with this I have is I have been on Google a lot seeing new research saying that my lips have virus present almost all the time everyday. So is it pretty much never safe to ever touch my lips or kiss anyone again? It's really got me tore up and scared honestly seeing all this new research coming out about HSV and being contagious and able to spread the virus to myself and others pretty much all the time now.?
Brief Answer:
The infection can spread only during active infectious stage.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
I reviewed your history and understand your concerns.
The HSV lesions are infective only in the phase of eruption. This lasts for 3-5 days during each recurrent infection.
The virus will not remain in the lips or skin all the time. It will go back to the nerve and remains there till next reactivation.
Hence you cannot spread infection all the time, hence no need to be worried.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
The infection can spread only during active infectious stage.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
I reviewed your history and understand your concerns.
The HSV lesions are infective only in the phase of eruption. This lasts for 3-5 days during each recurrent infection.
The virus will not remain in the lips or skin all the time. It will go back to the nerve and remains there till next reactivation.
Hence you cannot spread infection all the time, hence no need to be worried.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So all this research ive seen and read about through google searches leading me to other websites isnt very trust worthy?
Brief Answer:
The only mode of spread is close contact.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
The information you see from official medical sites like pubmed is trust worthy. Most of the times blogs written by non medical people may not be accurate.
However no need to be worried as the mode of spread by close contact as I had described is the only mode of spread.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
The only mode of spread is close contact.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
The information you see from official medical sites like pubmed is trust worthy. Most of the times blogs written by non medical people may not be accurate.
However no need to be worried as the mode of spread by close contact as I had described is the only mode of spread.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I just see alot of research and websites that claim that im pretty much always contagious and theres always a risk i can spread the virus to my eye active sore or not.s
Brief Answer:
Since nerve supply for both are different it will not spread from nerves.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
Herpes infections once acquired remain in one dermatome and gets reacivated during stress, infections, fever... These once reactivated will affect the area supplied by that particular dermatome only.
Since the dermatome of eye is different from that of lip it is unlikely to involve eye.
If some person is having lesions affecting eye and lips it indicates two primary infections involving two different dermatomes.
Hence in your case I don't find any reason to worry regarding spread of infection to eye.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Since nerve supply for both are different it will not spread from nerves.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.
Herpes infections once acquired remain in one dermatome and gets reacivated during stress, infections, fever... These once reactivated will affect the area supplied by that particular dermatome only.
Since the dermatome of eye is different from that of lip it is unlikely to involve eye.
If some person is having lesions affecting eye and lips it indicates two primary infections involving two different dermatomes.
Hence in your case I don't find any reason to worry regarding spread of infection to eye.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
