Herpes transmission question - spreading herpes to the eye?

[StephanieWS]

So, today, I scratched what I thought was an ingrown hair bump or a razor rash area. After scratching it 3 times, I noticed it was a herpes outbreak. Well, before I realized what it was, I had already touched my face and right below my eye. What is the likelihood that I passed it to my face or eye area? Or do you have to touch your actual eyeball to transmit it to your eye? There was no open cuts on my hand that I scratched it with. Please help me, because I know I touched my two year olds skin as well. Thank you.

[Judith]

Hi,

 

well there is always a risk to transmit the virus to other regions but i your case i dont believe that this will happen .You need to touch first your Ob and directly after that you need to touch directly in your eye,which you didnt done....so no worry darling you are fine ...we all are paranoid with this herpes thing.I once had a infection in my eye and sure i thought it was herpes ,at the end my nephew touch me with his nice little bacteria contaminated fingers in my eye...thats all. Dont worry , you good

[mr_hopp]

Hi StephanieWS!

 

Most all cases of ocular herpes happens when oral herpes travels up the nerve to the eye, so you don't have to worry. That said, it's always good practice to wash your hands with soap after you touch any herpes sore. No need to be paranoid or OCD about it, just be careful since during outbreaks, herpes is most infectious, but you still have to try pretty hard to spread it by touching the sores and then touching another part of your body. Auto-inoculation is pretty hard to do. Most of the cases of sores popping up in other locations is due to the virus moving a different nerve pathway from the spine to the surface of the skin.

 

What you're talking about is called Herpes Simplex Keratitis and here's what WebMD has to say about it:

http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/guide/eye-herpes

[lulu87]

Auto-inoculation is difficult, but what about spreading it to other people that way? I'm being hypothetical since I'm not seeing anyone but I'm wondering if you could spread it by touching yourself/them touching you and then coming in contact with their eye?

[mr_hopp]

Hey Lulu! Yes, you can pass herpes whenever an outbreak or the fluid from an outbreak comes into contact with someone else's mucous membrane or any sort of cut or abrasion on someone else's skin. But if they have any sort of herpes (80% of Americans have cold sores, or oral HSV-1), antibodies help to fight that off. With all this being said, when you touch an outbreak, wash your hands with soap. That kills the virus instantly. And as far as touching yourself then touching someone else when you DON'T have an outbreak, herpes can't be transmitted that way. Viral shedding sheds a minimal amount of actual virus, so it has to be skin-to-skin friction in order to have a chance of passing herpes when no visible signs or symptoms are present.

[bebu]

Hello, i Would like to ask if i can get eye herpes infection from toothbrush exposure? Actually, i had a cold Sore on lip and i used toothbrush machine, right after i used the machine,iforgot to turn IT off so IT spreaded the saliva and came Directly intomy eye:(, Iwashed my eye and used teardrops but im extremely afraid, IT is my nightmare to get my eye Infected :(... If you can answer, iwould be greatful

[WCSDancer2010]

Very VERY unlikely ... for one thing you already have the antibodies, and for another the vast majority of people who get it are kids who really PICK at things and then POKE other things so that they really get a large viral dose to the area (and at that age their immune system is still forming so they are more susceptible to stuff like that)....

 

Rest easy ... Herpes isn't THAT easy to spread :)

 

(((HUGS)))

[bebu]

Thanks alot for your answer..:) i feel more relaxed now. I have Heard that the vaccine for Herpes is in Testing period, hope this is true , It will be help for many people around the world

[WCSDancer2010]

Don't want to rain on your parade, but they have been testing for cures and vaccines sine I was originally diagnosed in the early 80's ... and while I'm sure they will have one *some* day, don't let that affect your life... keep living it... ok???