There are small red bubbles on the glans

If there are some small red bubbles on the glans, you must not ignore it. This is caused by infection. Whether it is a viral infection or a bacterial infection, it is relatively serious. You should start treatment immediately to prevent your condition from worsening. You should go to the hospital for a specific andrological examination to know whether there are other lesions inside your glans and find the most appropriate treatment measures.

1. Initial infection

Patients with the first onset of the disease can be divided into primary infection and non-primary infection.

1. Primary infection

The patient had no history of herpes simplex and no HSV antibodies in the serum. After infection with HSV, the clinical manifestations are the most severe. The patient developed the disease after sexual contact with an active herpes simplex victim. The incubation period is 3 to 14 days, with an average of about 6 days. In men, it is more common on the glans penis, coronal sulcus, foreskin, and penis; in women, it is more common on the vulva, cervix, perianal area, and buttocks, with most millet-sized papules and blisters appearing, which can merge into pieces.

After 2 to 4 days, it breaks down into erosion or ulcer, and the patient will feel burning and pain. When the damage invades the urethral epithelium, the patient will experience urinary pain, difficulty urinating, and mucous secretions at the urethral opening. When it invades the cervical epithelium, the cervical erosion, ulcer, and leucorrhea increase. The patient's inguinal lymph nodes are enlarged and tender, but they will not purulent or rupture. New rashes appear from time to time within 1 week of onset. The skin lesions reach their peak at 7 to 10 days, and then gradually subside and scab over. It usually takes 18 to 21 days for the skin lesions to completely subside and normal epithelium to grow out. Some cases may experience fever, headache, nausea, photophobia, and even neck stiffness in the first week of the disease, which are symptoms of viral blood syndrome or even meningeal irritation.

(II) Non-primary infection

This is the first time that the patient has clinical symptoms of genital herpes, but he has a history of simple herpes on the lips. There are HSV-1 antibodies in the serum. Due to the protective effect of HSV-1 antibodies on the body, the clinical manifestations of non-primary genital herpes are milder than those of primary genital herpes, with limited skin lesions and a mild course. Generally, the skin lesions will completely scab and fall off in about 2 weeks. Patients generally have no systemic symptoms, and the inguinal lymph nodes are not enlarged.

2. Recurrent infection

The first relapse usually occurs half a year to a year after the primary infection subsides. The average number of relapses is 3 to 4 times per year, and more than 6 times per year is considered frequent relapses. Relapse causes include decreased immune function and non-immune factors, fatigue, mental stress, trauma, menstruation, and other infections. Generally, relapses are more common in men than in women, but the symptoms of women after relapse are more severe than those of men. Clinical manifestations and relapse frequency vary from person to person.

1. There are often prodromal symptoms a few hours to 1-2 days before recurrence, such as local burning, abnormal sensation or tingling, etc., and some people have radiating pain to the buttocks and thighs.

2. The patient's vulva has papules and blisters, which are more localized and less in number than primary cases. After rupture, they become punctate erosions or shallow ulcers.

3. Generally, scabs will form after 4 to 5 days, and the skin lesions will heal in about 10 days.

The patient's inguinal lymph nodes are not enlarged and no systemic symptoms occur; recurrent vulvar damage is much less likely to invade the cervix than primary damage.