What Does Herpes Look Like?

4. Additional Symptoms

Some people complain of headaches, muscle aches, vaginal discharge, fever, swollen lymph glands and pain when urinating. Relief often sets in a couple weeks after the sores begin to heal. However, the sores are still infected. Lesions present on the vagina or on the cervix take 10 days longer to heal. Because the virus remains present in the body, it can enter into your nerve cells and remain dormant for several years. During this time, you are less likely to infect your partner, but the infection can become reactivated and flare up again later. Herpes may recur between three and 12 months of the initial appearance of the infection.