There are actually 8 different viruses in the herpes family. Some of them lead to genital herpes, but others may cause things including cold sores, chickenpox, mononucleosis, roseola, and, very rarely, Kaposi's sarcoma, a kind of cancer found in people with AIDS.
One of the viruses, human herpes virus 3 (HHV3), which is the same virus that gave you itchy chicken pox when you were a child, can cause herpes zoster, a viral infection more commonly known as shingles. Shingles affect the skin and causes painful sores, and it can become serious - especially if it occurs in or near the eyes. Your risk of developing shingles increases as you get older or if your immune system is not strong, such as during situations like receiving
cancer chemotherapy or taking anti-rejection medications after a transplant.
The variety of herpes known as human herpes virus 1 (HHV1) usually causes those ugly spot on your lips called cold sores. From time to time, the virus will cause eye infections. Chronic herpes type 1 can also lead to corneal ulcers and dramatic damage to your vision.