anyone kids caught Herpes?

[kfillmore]

On the phone our Ped thinks our DD has (mouth) herpes (he has not seen her but seemed sure-she had a fever and then I noticed a dime sized off-white sore on her tongue. She has been really waking up at night crying.) He seems totally unconcerned. I, on the other hand, am very concerned and feel awful that I allowed her to catch something like that. I have been looking online and evidently it is very very common. I have never even had a cold sore. Is that true? What do you know?

[Jend1002]

I think I'd be worried about the doctor making that call without actually seeing the sore.  The first thing I thought was oral thrush, not herpes.  I am not a medical professional though! 

[nextcommercial]

It could be canker sores.  (I don't think that's herpes)  Or it could be thrush.  Thrush can sometimes have a fever.  Or it could be hand foot mouth disease.  HFM often has a fever and other symptoms like a bumpy rash in the diaper area, or tiny spots on the hands and feet.  But, sometimes you only see the canker sores in the mouth.

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/canker-sores  <--Canker sores

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Thrush  <--Thrush

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/DS00599  <--Hand, foot, mouth.

My daughter has chronic canker sores.  She's had them since she was little.  I've always gotten them too, so she caught it from me I guess.

[kismetbaby]

Just FYI: Canker sores are not contagious and are different than cold sores, which are one type of the herpes virus.  Canker sores are usually a reaction to something too acidic in the mouth, but can also happen when the body is run-down/under stress as can cold sores.  

I agree that it sounds like it could be a variety of things, and I'd be more likely to suspect thrush than herpes.  Seems like your Ped should have at least seen the thing to make such a call.  Thrush can be quite painful. Canker sores are too, but they are not usually on the tongue.

[Courtney-Ostaff]

Note that mouth herpes is a) very common and b) linked to oral cancer.  Kind of a no-win situation there.  

[handspun]

Originally Posted by Courtney-Ostaff 

Note that mouth herpes is a) very common and b) linked to oral cancer.  Kind of a no-win situation there.  

Really? I have never read about a causal link.  Do you have urls to any articles?  I've read about experiments using HSV 1 as treatment for oral cancer, but never as a link to oral cancer.  Not to be flip, but 90% of the population carries the virus, so I'd say there's a pretty good chance that if you have oral cancer, you probably have oral herpes too. 

To the OP, HSV isn't something that can be diagnosed over the phone, only by blood draw or (more accurately) by culturing an active sore.  I think it's totally weird that your ped is giving that kind of diagnosis over the phone, honestly. Have you or anyone in close proximity to you LO recently had an outbreak?

[Courtney-Ostaff]

@handspun: I mispoke -- I was thinking of HPV, which can also cause mouth sores -- and it's also fairly common. HSV isn't directly linked to cancer, though it is ubiquitous. My uncle died of oral cancer, so I learned a lot about it.  I highly recommend  The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

as for info:

 http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/index.htm

biological factors include viruses and fungi, which have been found in association with oral cancers. The human papilloma virus, particularly HPV16, has been definitively implicated in oral cancers, particularly those that occur in the back of the mouth. (Oropharynx, base of tongue, tonsillar pillars and crypt, as well as the tonsils themselves.) HPV is a common, sexually transmitted virus, which infects about 40 million Americans today. There are over 120 strains of HPV, most thought to be harmless. But  approximately 1% of those infected, have the HPV16 strain which is a primary causative agent in cervical cancer (with HPV18), cancers of the anus and penis, and now is a known cause of oral cancer as well. It is likely that the changes in sexual behaviors of young adults over the last few decades, and which are continuing today, are increasing the spread of HPV, and the oncogenic versions of it. There are other minor risk factors which have been associated with oral cancers, but have not yet been definitively shown to participate in their development. These include lichen planus, an inflammatory disease of the oral soft tissues, and genetic predispositions. 

http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/oral-herpes/

 the human papillomavirus and a couple strains of herpes virus are now regarded as possible contributors to certain types of oral cancer

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/135/10/1093.short

...infected with HPV-16 and HSV-2 were at elevated risk, these associations may have been due to chance. The role of specific sexual practices in the transmission of viruses to the oral cavity remains unclear.Am J Epidemiol 1992; 135: 1093–1102

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20101013/virus-behind-oral-cancer-epidemicIt looks like HPV-positive oral cancers are rising quite sharply in the past 10 years, while HPV-negative oral cancers went down. That is why we say it is an epidemic," 

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-10-virus-genital-warts-linked-oral.htmlMouth and throat cancer could be caused by the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer, and it could be spreading through sex and French-kissing, a study published Wednesday says.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1619814,00.html#ixzz1B3ZnK8fI

those infected with HPV were also 32 times more likely to develop this type of oral cancer than those who did not have the virus. These findings dwarf the increased risk of developing this so-called oropharyngeal cancer associated with the two major risk factors: smoking (3 times greater) or drinking (2.5 times greater). HPV infection drives cancerous growth

[dalia]

Lots of kids get hsv1. I definitely wouldn't feel guilty or anything. It's everywhere and lots of people are carriers but don't get sores.

I would be wondering about hand foot mouth disease which is also common and not a big deal although uncomfortable for the child. Either way, don't worry! Your dc will be fine.

[rightkindofme]

I'd be very upset with having a doctor who diagnosed over the phone, personally.  That said, my sister gave me oral herpes when I was a kid and it hasn't really harmed my life. :)