This is the clear dome over the pupil, which is involved in refracting light onto the retina. When HSV infects the eye, the infection hits the cornea first. However, untreated eye herpes can damage deeper layers of the eye and eventually cause blindness. However, epithelial keratitis can also stem from HSV-2.Įye herpes can be controlled with antiviral medication, and it can be diagnosed during a routine eye exam. Typically, eye herpes comes from HSV-1, transmitted when a person touches a cold sore on their lip and then touches their eye. One area they spread to is the eyes, leading to epithelial keratitis, viral keratitis, herpes keratitis, or eye herpes. These two forms of the herpes virus can spread to other parts of the body and cause lesions or sores.

Refrain from kissing or sharing lipstick, but otherwise, go and live your life.There are two common types of herpes virus – herpes simplex virus I (HSV-1), also called oral herpes, and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), which is genital herpes.

Herpes is really just another name for cold sores, so is it really that big of a deal? This dentist says, 'No, it is not. But then again, since 70 percent of us have it, so what. But in my personal opinion, I'll tell you that HSV-1 is no better or worse and even say that HSV-1 can be tougher to live with, because hey, it's right out there for all to see. HSV-1 is far more common and can be spread by sharing a fork (hence it gets the 'good' label), whereas HSV-2 happens around our genitals and is spread when those genitals come into contact with somebody else's - hence, the 'bad' label.

(3) I'm here to say that's really not true - in general terms, the viruses are essentially the same, save for where they occur. But there's this perception that HSV-1 is not that big a deal, and HSV-2 is something that carries a stigma. One thing I found while looking around the web is the prevalence of talk regarding 'good herpes' or 'bad herpes' (well, not that any herpes is 'good,' mind you).

Can you get herpes from touching