Herpes in the mouth is more likely to be caused by type 1, but (see above) also can be type  2. The only way to know for certain if a positive blood test for herpes is due to infection of the mouth, genitals, or elsewhere, is to sample from lesions. This is not possible if the affected individual is asymptomatic. The bodys immune system typically fight the virus. Prevention
Primary Infection
The likelihood of the infection can be reduced through avoidance of touching an area with active infection and contact sports and frequent hand washing, use of mouth rinsing (anti-viral, anti-bacterial) products.</ref> During active infection (outbreaks with oral lesions) avoid oral-to-oral kissing and oral-genital sex without protection. HSV1 can be transmitted to uninfected partners through oral sex, resulting in genital lesions. Healthcare workers working with patients who have active lesions are advised to use gloves, eye protection, and mouth protection during physical, mucosal, and bronchoscopic procedures and examinations. Recurrent Infection
In some cases, sun exposure can lead to HSV-1 reactivation, therefore use of zinc-based sunscreen or topical and oral therapeutics such as acyclovir and valacyclovir may prove helpful. Other triggers for recurrent herpetic infection includes fever, common cold, fatigue, emotional stress, trauma, sideropenia, oral cancer therapy, immunosuppression, chemotherapy, oral and facial surgery, menstruation, and epidural morphine, and upset GI. Surgical procedures like nerve root decompression, facial dermabrasion, and ablative laser resurfacing can increase risks of reactivation by 50-70%. Treatment
Despite no cure or vaccine for the virus, a human bodys immune system and specific antibodies typically fight the virus.
Treatment options include no treatment, topical creams (indifferent, antiviral, and anaesthetic), and oral antiviral medications. Indifferent topical creams include zinc oxide and glycerin cream, which can have itching and burning sensation as side effects and docosanoll. Docosanol, a saturated fatty alcohol was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for herpes labialis in adults with properly functioning immune systems. It is comparable in effectiveness to prescription topical antiviral agents. Due to docosanols mechanism of action, there is little risk of drug resistance. Antivirals creams include acyclovir and penciclovir, which can speed healing by as much as 10%. Oral antivirals include acyclovir, valaciclovir, and famciclovir. Famciclovir or valacyclovir, taken in pill form, can be effective using a single day, high-dose application and is more cost effective and convenient than the traditional treatment of lower doses for 5–7 days. Anaesthetic creams include lidocaine and prilocaine which has shown reduction in duration of subjective symptoms and eruptions.Treatment recommendations vary on the severity of the symptoms and chronicity of the infection. Treatment with oral antivirals such as acyclovir in children within 72 hours of illness onset has shown to shorten duration of fever, odynophagia, and lesions, and to reduce viral shedding. For patient with mild to moderate symptoms, local anaesthetic such as lidocaine for pain without antiviral may be sufficient. However, those with occasional severe recurrences of lesions may use oral antivirals.