What Are The Chances Of Ocular Herpes When Diagnosed With HSV-1 Infection?

Posted on Fri, 15 Jan 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 Answered on

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I was diagnosed with HSV-1. Sometimes I get moist around the outside corners of my mouth. I touched the moisture, and then touched the inside corner of my eye. Will I get ocular herpes?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (25 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Chances are negligible

Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us

I have gone through your query and I have noted your concern.

Chances of autoinnoculation to eye, though real, are minimal during clinically asymptomatic phases i.e with no active sores. Morever, rather than just touching, rubbing of eyes with infected fingers is more likely to autoinnoculate the virus.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (40 minutes later)

Thank you, Dr. Kakkar. To this day, I wish I had never let a doctor inject my face with dermal filler. That caused me to have oral herpes breakouts. As was said to me by my doctor of internal medicine, the doctor, who injected the dermal filler, should have started me on an antiviral medicine one week before he injected the dermal filler to prevent the herpes breakouts. Although, a friend said that I shouldn't blame the doctor as I already had the herpes virus in my body. Of course, the dermal filler injection aggravated the condition.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Chicken pox vaccine cannot sure herpes (Hsv)

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

A procedure like dermal filler injection may flare up of oral herpes Or induce an episode, therefore it is a good precaution to take an Oral antiviral prior to a procedure, or else it may result in a flare of herpes, though this is not always the case. Yes, the virus must have been in you already and the injection only made it to manifest.
No, chicken pox vaccine cannot sure herpes.
Herpes virus stays inside the body for ever. It may manifest as sores from time to time e.g in respose to stress, fever, strong sun etc.
The frequency of clinical episodes of herpes decreases with time and the episodes become less frequent over the years e.g a new infection may cause 4-6 epsiodes of cold sores during first year after infection however, only just an episode or 2 per year, thereafter.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (8 hours later)

Thank you, Dr. Kakkar. By the way, when will there be a cure for herpes? I feel like I don't have a lift anymore.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (15 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Thank you for writing to us

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

I really wish that may we have a cure soon.. :-)

Regards
Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar