Unraveling the Myth behind the cause of Herpetic Whitlow

There is this painful blister, sometimes swollen I have seen on the hands of some people around me and most often, people characterize it to be an effect of excessive washing of clothes with the hand, or simply put, excessively dipping the hands into water.
But, this blister that we most likely ignore and hope that it goes away on its own is an infection that is caused by the herpes simplex virus.

The occurrence of this infection is characterized by painful blisters on the skin close to the fingernail. Although, even if it is an infection, it will most likely get resolved on its own, but may also require an antiviral prescription to help speed up its healing process.

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To know that, Herpetic Whitlow is contagious is more scary to me, which means it can spread amongst persons. This infection gets into the skin through a break near the nail therefore causing painful blisters on the fingernail.

Herpetic Whitlow can affect anyone at any point in their lives, but it is much more common amongst the people in this category;

• Those with a weak immune system.

• People who have been exposed to genital herpes.

• Healthcare workers who are often exposed to people's mouths.

• Children who like to suck on their thumbs.

• Athletes like wrestlers who often have close contact with others.

• Fever.

• Excessive exposure to the sun.

• Trauma, which could be physical, mental, or emotional.

While most cases of Herpetic Whitlow affect just one finger, it can also spread to others. With blisters being formed, the crust is formed accompanied by drying and healing.

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With Herpetic Whitlow, a swollen finger will be experienced, with blisters or fluid-filled bumps on the skin close to the fingernail, a change of color to the skin around the nail area, turning from red to purple or just darker than the normal skin tone.

Herpetic Whitlow has a chance of recurring, and the first time is known to usually be the most severe. Apart from getting it from a person who has it, it could also be gotten if you have cold sores or genital herpes.

Once a person hits Herpetic Whitlow, it stays in the body forever even if it doesn't stay obvious, but when there is a cut or sore on the finger, or you feel stressed or well, the infection may likely come back and it could be treated in the same way if it comes back again.

Antiviral medications can help speed up the process of recovery, this will help limit the symptoms of appearance by around 4 days and also prevent the virus from spreading to other body parts.

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In certain cases, secondary bacterial infection would develop in the area of the infection, in this case, antibiotics may be required.
I also read about some forms of home care techniques that work for people, if you know someone who has the infection, they could try it out as well.

• The area of infection could be slightly covered to prevent spread to other places.

• The blister should never be popped out or drained, if you do this, you risk spreading the virus or completely giving access to secondary infection.

• Try not to touch the blisters, this will also help prevent them from spreading.

• Thoroughly and constantly washing hands also helps prevent its spread if you are working in a medical field, do not carry out any act without appropriately putting on gloves.

• The next line of action is to report to a medical expert if the Herpetic Whitlow does not appear to be getting better.

To think that this infection does not have to do with consistent washing like we have been made to believe over the years is very
interesting and eye-opening. The good thing is, that it isn't a condition to get worried about, over-the-counter medications help relieve the pain felt.

For Further Studies.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/valacyclovir

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herpetic-whitlow/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24681-herpetic-whitlow

https://www.healthline.com/health/herpetic-whitlow#outlook

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Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.