Long-Term Stress May Trigger Herpes Outbreaks
Nov. 11, 1999 (Atlanta) -- For women afflicted with genital herpes, persistent life stress can be a predictor of recurrence. A new study reported in the November 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that the greater a woman's stress, the more likely it is that she will suffer an outbreak of the herpes lesions.
Herpes is caused by one of two viruses: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) or herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). Herpes is different from many other common viral infections. Most importantly, it doesn't go away. The virus tends to lie dormant in the nerve root causing no symptoms whatsoever. But, at any time, it can travel the nerve pathways in a particular part of the body and cause an outbreak. This means that even though HSV may not be causing "cold sores" or genital signs and symptoms at a given time, it can still cause symptoms later. Some believe the outbreaks are related to certain events such as sun exposure, extreme short-lived stress, and menstrual periods.
Although it's well known that people can contract herpes from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, herpes's triggers are poorly understood by scientists. According to the American Social Health Association, based at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, known triggers for genital herpes include surgical trauma and excessive friction in the genital area, as well as stressful situations.
Previous clinical studies have suggested there was a link between stress and moods and the recurrence of oral or genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) lesions. However, the study's lead researcher, Frances Cohen, PhD, tells WebMD, "It is long-term stress that can cause outbreaks." Cohen is an associate professor at the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.
To determine whether short- and long-term stress or negative moods could trigger genital herpes outbreaks in women, the researchers studied 58 women, aged 20-44 years, with a one- to ten-year history of visible genital herpes and at least one outbreak in the previous six months. The researchers used weekly assessments of stress levels and mood, monthly assessments of life-altering events, and diary reports of genital herpes recurrences confirmed by medical examination when feasible.