Herpes mouth infection (herpetic stomatitis)

For a lay person:

Herpetic stomatitis is an infection of the mouth and gums by the herpes simplex virus, usually the first time a person catches it. It is most common in young children and causes fever, swollen gums and many painful mouth sores, which usually heal within about two weeks.

For a trained medical person:

Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis due to HSV-1, presenting with fever, vesicles that rupture into ulcers on the gingiva and oral mucosa, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Diagnosis is clinical, with PCR in atypical or immunocompromised cases. Management is hydration and analgesia, with oral aciclovir if started early or in severe or immunocompromised cases.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: External Wind-Heat; Accumulated Heat in Heart and Spleen. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: Seek urgent care if a child is not drinking or shows signs of dehydration, or for eye pain or redness, drowsiness or a weakened immune system. Avoid kissing newborns while you have cold sores.