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herpes labialis

herpes labialis

4.3
A viral infection that causes painful blisters on the lips or around the mouth
  • noun
  • /ˈhɜr.piz ləˈbeɪ.li.əs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : herpes labial
  • To avoid triggers, it is essential for those prone to herpes labialis to protect their lips from excessive sunlight.
  • recurrent herpes labialis
  • recurrence of herpes labialis
  • sun-induced herpes labialis

Examples

  • At the six-month follow-up, no adverse effects of UV exposure were noted, and 15 of 30 patients reported recurrence of herpes labialis since completion of the study.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Sunlight triggers herpes labialis in up to a quarter of people with recurrent infections.

    Academic text (1991)
  • In the immunocompromised host, herpes labialis can be severe.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Our results indicate that the recurrence rate of herpes labialis can be reduced by the use of sunscreens.

    Academic text (1991)
  • No outbreaks of herpes labialis were noted in the second or third weeks after UV exposure.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Sunlight exposure is reported by some patients to precede the onset of recurrent herpes labialis.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Since the likelihood of reactivation was independent of previous rates of recurrence or reported history of sun-induced herpes, our data suggest that all patients with a history of herpes labialis might benefit from applying sunscreens when long exposure is expected.

    Academic text (1991)
  • About 150 million Americans have latent herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 infection, accounting for 100 million episodes of recurrent herpes labialis each year.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Herpes labialis causes painful blisters that can appear on the lips and around the mouth.

  • Many people experience outbreaks of herpes labialis, commonly known as cold sores, during stress or illness.

Synonyms

cold sore
vsherpes labialis
8 3.2

Small painful blisters on the lips or around the mouth that a virus causes

is the broader viral condition that produces these blisters around mouth
fever blister
vsherpes labialis
  • US
1 5.1

A small painful sore on the lip or face caused by the herpes virus

is the infection causing such blisters across lips and mouth
oral herpes
vsherpes labialis
  • Specialized
5.1

A contagious infection that causes painful cold sores on or around the lips

is the clinical term for infection mainly on lips and inside mouth

Surface Forms

Morphology

herpes + labialis

The term combines 'herpes' (a viral eruption) with the Latin-derived element 'labialis' meaning 'pertaining to the lips', so the sense 'herpes of the lips' is compositionally derivable for learners who recognize the labial/root. However, 'labialis' is a specialized medical/Latin form not familiar to most B1 learners, so understanding requires morphological or medical knowledge and is only partly predictable.

Etymology

Herpes labialis comes from old words: herpes meant 'to creep' on the skin and labialis means 'of the lip'. So the name shows a skin problem on the lip — a 'cold sore' with small painful blisters.