HERPES

Burning in Lip

Dear Dr. Rob:

I drank from some one else’s straw and a couple hours later I felt a little burning in my upper lip above my teeth, is that a sign of herpes or could it just be a pimple of some sort. The area is red and has like a white blistery center. I brushed it with my toothbrush and it does not hurt as much. Please let me know as soon as possible. If it is herpes, what do I do? Thank you very much.

---

Dr. Rob’s Response:

Dear Poster Who Drank from Someone’s Straw:

If you did have a lesion in your mouth and you drank from someone’s straw who had an open herpes lesion, it is possible that you did contract it. I would wait a couple of months and have a Herpes Select Test done to determine whether or not this is Herpes Type 1 which is the most common variant of all herpes viruses or whether it is the 20% of oral herpes caused by Herpes Type 2. 

---