Brief Answer: Herpes virus can persist in our body for long time Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome and thanks for posting your to the forum. I can understand your concern for herpes and its second episode. To tell you medically - Herpes lesions manifest itself as small vesicles (fluid filled blisters) which remains for a day or two and then forms ulcers which are quite painful for the first time. To begin with also these vesicles are quite painful and itchy with discomfort and once the vesicles burst in a day or two then the ulcers which are formed are quite painful for next 4-5 days. These ulcers then heal in next 5-7 days. In first episode there are flu like symptoms such as body ache, mild fever and generalized lassitude along with blisters. The subsequent episodes are always milder than the first one. So accordingly you have got milder episode at this time. Once occurred at one site in body, there is an immunity of at least minimum of multiple weeks to multiple of months before it can recur again. As I can get your history that this second episode occurred after a period of year. This is a very good sign that you have good immunity. Regarding your query for the sudden appearance of herpes a year back- you are quite right that herpes virus can persist in our body for long time without causing any problem due to good immunity. We are exposed to so many of the infection in day to life but all are not expressed clinically because of good immunity in ourselves. The same is with herpes where the infection might had persisted for long but as soon as there had been sudden low immune status, you got it clinically expressed. You need not to be worried about the part of low immunity. This sudden shift of immunity is present in everybody due to multiple of reasons such as change of weather, age factor, nutritional factors and stress too. It is same like as we get seasonal flu during any change of weather and rest of reasons. So you probably understood the basic reason for the occurrence of herpes. As I can see you are currently on valacyclovir 1 GM. It is one of the best medication for the herpes and do take a full course of 7-10 days according to your treating doctor's suggestion. Again I want to emphasize that it is a good sign of immunity as you got your second episode after a period of year. I hope these information will relax you. I will be glad to answer any further of your queries. Regards, Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia (MD- Dermatology & Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

---