Whitlow

[Ab0329]

I have had whitlow for a couple of years now and get outbreaks every couple months on the same hand and same place on my palm. I recently had a baby and got my first outbreak following that. Im so scared that I will give this to my daughter when feeding or changing her. Because its on my palm its very hard to wear a bandaid so I usually just wrap my entire palm with gauze. My question is:
I sometimes will pop the blisters with a needle and squeeze the liquid out of them and pick the remaining skin off. If all thats left is broken skin after doing this, is it still contagious? It looks as if I had a friction blister and just picked the excess skin off but it has not grown back yet. Thanks

[Terri Warren]

I am assuming that you’ve had this diagnosed by swab test to be whitlow.

It’s difficult for me to picture what you are doing to the lesions when they appear. When new skin has replaced the outbreak, you are not shedding any longer because the skin of the hand is too thick for the virus to leave, but I can’t really know for sure if you are infectious because I’m having a hard time picturing what you are doing to this outbreak. I would recommend just leaving it alone and letting it heal on it’s own.

Terri

[Ab0329]

I understand. Yes it was confirmed via swab roughly 5 years ago as hsv 2. The lesions I get on my palm usually dont have any fluid inside, but they are like little lumps under my skin that are painful until I open them up with a needle. Nothing ever really comes out of them if that makes sense.
I guess the only follow up questions I would have would be concerning liquid bandages. Its super hard to keep a bandaid on this area of my hand so I was wondering if putting a couple of layers of liquid bandage around the blister would prevent transmission. I know the liquid bandage says that it keeps germs out but will it also keep the herpes virus in?

[Terri Warren]

I think very likely a liquid bandage would also keep virus in as well as bacteria out. Good solution, I think

Terri

[Ab0329]

Once the sore scabs over, if I pick the scab off is it contagious again

[Terri Warren]

I don’t think I would recommend picking the scab off. Please just let it fall off naturally and then one could be a bit more certain that it is completely healed.

Terri

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