Essential Oils For Genital Herpes

Essential Oils Can Help Your Herpes Outbreaks

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Ok, so I love essential oils. When I was first introduced to them I was really skeptical about their holistic healing properties but I was always a huge fan of using them as aromatherapy. Essential oils have become a huge thing over the last couple of years so most likely you have some type of oil laying around your house. Well, as Im sure you guessed it there are some oils that are really helpful and beneficial when it comes to a herpes outbreak. These oils can do things like calm your nerves, help with swelling, the itching and even have antiviral properties.

What Are Essential Oils

However, they can be irritating to the skin and should be diluted before applying.

Before using any essential oil, always check with your doctor and take appropriate precautions.

Lavender oil is particularly useful for treating herpes, as it has antiseptic properties and can help relieve the discomfort of the outbreaks.

Lavender oil can also be applied directly to sores and open cuts and may reduce the pain associated with herpes.

The smell of lavender oil may also help relieve the discomfort associated with herpes since its a natural painkiller.

It can be applied directly to herpes outbreaks by diluting it with another oil.

A 2003 lab study also demonstrated that peppermint oil could calm the symptoms of an activated strain of herpes and was similar to tea tree oil.

Aside from peppermint, anise and dwarf pine essential oils may be beneficial for treating herpes, although the use of these oils is not recommended for anyone with sensitive skin.

Lemon balm oil, hyssop oil, and sandalwood oil showed significant antiviral activity.

All three oils inhibit HSV-2 replication.

They lowered the IC50 of the herpes virus by 0.074%.

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Eucalyptus Blue Gum Essential Oil

The active component of eucalyptus that counters the herpes virus is unknown. However, the extracts use as an antiviral agent is promising. This woody-scented oil can be used to work against herpes blisters. These annoying lesions are painful, and after bursting, tissues below the skin become exposed. This will later turn into even more painful sores and encourage further infection.

To soothe blisters, add 2 drops of eucalyptus to a tablespoon of coconut oil. Use a cotton bud to dab on affected areas.

Best for: Blisters

Genital Herpes Was Taking Its Toll

Brand Neutral:Scientific Studies:

Note: Not all essential oil brands are the same, and you get what you pay for. If you expect to achieve results similar to those described in this testimonial, then ensure that you are using oils from pesticide-free plants. Also, the brand should use 100% pure, high-quality essential oils that do not contain any synthetic additives. Do your own research or ask a trusted friend to find a brand that is reputable. Buyer beware.

I was a virgin when I got married at 24 years of age. I wanted it that way, and my boyfriend helped hold me to that standard. He is a good man, but he had lived with a girlfriend who gave him genital herpes because she didn’t have the decency to tell him that she had it. Regardless, he did tell me, and I was willing to deal with this fact of his life.

After eight years of marriage, I did contract this virus. I wasn’t overwhelmed by this until my husband left me. He was looking for something illusive… a soul mate. So here I was facing a new chapter in my life with genital herpes. GREAT!!!

Before I found therapeutic-grade essential oils, I used Valtrex or a generic of it while insured, but for eight years I was uninsured and just let the genital herpes take its course. Of course that meant a good week of my month during the months that it would surface.

I never get cold sores on my mouth, but if I were to suffer from them, then this regimen would likely support that as well.

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Essential Oils That Combat Herpes

Brand Neutral:Scientific Studies:

No one really wants to talk about this subject, but Melissa oil is the one. Yes, it burns like Hell but it works. Both for oral and genital application. Use a Q-tip with very little cotton on it so you can direct the oil. For the first three days, put it on 2-3 times a day. Then down to once a day or so.

After a couple of outbreaks of doing this, you will be very happy to have no more problems. If you can’t afford Melissa, the Thieves oil blend is the next best oil. Have a carrier oil around in case of burning.

My daughter has had horrible outbreaks of oral herpes for years – outbreaks that would cover her entire lip. I had actually contracted the virus from kissing her years ago when she had an outbreak. My first experience with a cold sore was awful. I immediately remembered about the Melissa oil.

I have not had an outbreak in over a year and I used to have outbreaks at least twice a year. My daughter has very few outbreaks now and I soon know she won’t have any, as I do.

Lemon Balm Essential Oil

As the herpes virus doesnt go away, it could lay inactive in nerve cells for years without a reaction. Under extreme stress and tiredness, however, you may have an outbreak or recurrence of herpes. Getting a grip on long-term stress could impact the resurgence of herpes. Lemon balm has that feel good aroma thats enough to leave you feeling relaxed.

Use to scent your room whenever youre anxious and out of it. Three drops of the oil to your diffuser or vaporizer does quite the trick. Its best to diffuse the oil when youre ready to wind down and relax.

Best for: stress and tiredness

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Best Zinc Supplement: Thorne Zinc Picolinate

daily allowance of zinc, larger bottles are expensive

These zinc capsules are gluten, dairy, and soy-free.

Thorne claims that these supplements may support immune and reproductive health. Each capsule contains 30 mg of zinc.

The company recommends taking one capsule per day.

It is important to note that 30 mg of zinc is more than double the daily recommended value, which the National Institutes of Health states is 811 mg for adults.

A person can choose between bottles containing 60 or 180 capsules. They can also choose a bottle that holds National Sanitation Foundation certification for sport, meaning the product has been tested and found to be free of banned substances.

Thorne Zinc Picolinate 30 mg costs $1735.

the medicinal plant Tripterygium hypoglaucum
compounds in the oil of cloves and the essential oil of cinnamon and basil

A person can use oils in a diffuser, diluted in a carrier oil, added to a bath, or massaged on the skin.

People should not consume essential oils, as some are toxic and can cause harm.

When using essential oils for aromatherapy, it is also important to consider anyone else in the area. Some essential oils are harmful to pets and pregnant or nursing people.

Using a carrier oil is important, as the essential oil may cause adverse effects if a person applies it directly to the skin. Carrier oils

Some medications can lower the chance of spreading the herpes virus and reduce the severity and frequency of the symptoms.

How To Use Lavender For Herpes

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Herpes is a common infection. Two different, but closely related viruses can cause herpes: herpes simplex virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus type 2, according to Planned Parenthood 1. Both are easily spread and stay in the body for life symptoms can come and go. HSV-1, or oral herpes usually occurs as on the lips as a cold sore, but genital herpes will present as genital blisters or warts. According to the National Cancer Institute, some essential oils have antiviral activity against the herpes simplex virus. Shirley Price notes in her book, “Aromatherapy for Common Ailments” that lavender essential oil has antiseptic and regenerative properties 3. However, if you suspect you have developed the herpes virus, make sure to consult with a physician before attempting any herbal or natural remedies at home.

Open the bottle of jojoba oil and add 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Add 10 drops of tea tree essential oil, followed by 5 drops of myrrh essential oil. Finish off the mixture by adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil.

Screw the cap back on and roll the jojoba oil bottle on a flat surface for several minutes. Do not shake the bottle.

Tips

Warnings

How Do Essential Oils Work

Essential oils are concentrated plant oil extracts created through a distillation process. Each oil contains a highly concentrated form of the naturally occurring oils found in plants, like lavender and peppermint.

Over the last few decades, essential oils have become a popular natural treatment for a variety of ailments and health conditions. Most people use essential oils through skin application or by inhaling small amounts of essential oils through a diffuser.

Like most natural treatments and cures, the evidence for essential oils is mixed. While some oils are scientifically linked to improvements in health and relief from some diseases, the total amount of scientific evidence for most essential oils is fairly slim.

As such, its best to think of essential oils as a supplementary treatment for cold sores that you can use alongside proven antiviral medications.

Below, weve listed some of the most popular essential oils for cold sores, along with the scientific data to back up claims about each product.

Could Tea Tree Oil Treat Herpes Virology Says Maybe

I’m not a big fan of essential oils. They are simply complex mixtures of plant-derived chemicals called terpenoids . None of them are especially harmful and, with the exception of having a nice scent, they are not especially helpful either. But I happened upon an interesting paper from 2009, which claims that tea tree oil, the olfactory darling du jour, might be useful in treating herpes.

But before I tell you about why Paul Schnitzler and colleagues at the University of Heidelberg may have something interesting on their hands, first you’re going to need a little virology lesson. Sorry, but this ain’t all fun and games.

Here’s how you grow viruses in the lab .

You start with empty little dishes which are called wells.

Each well is filled with a growth media – something in which the viruses will replicate. In the case of viruses, the growth media consists of living cells. Different viruses require different host cell types.

The host cells form what is called a monolayer in the well.

Then the virus you want to grow is added to each well.

You wait some more.

The virus grows. There are a number of different ways to measure how much virus has grown. One is visual – looking for plaques – small dots of viruses in the growth media .

Figure 1 Viral plaques. Photo: Virology Blog. A simplified representation of growing viruses in a well. The darker the color, the more virus is present.

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

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The Pros & Cons Of Eos For Cold Sores

The Pros:

EOs are potent a little goes a long way. Just a few drops can offer multiple active compounds that unleash a series of healing, protective and regenerating effects.
High-quality EOs should be 100% natural, undiluted, and certified organic. This means you have direct access to natures pharmacy at a relatively affordable price.
If used with care and mindfulness EOs are relatively low-risk and offer little to no side-effects when compared to most conventional prescription or over-the-counter medication.
You can create your own blends to enhance their healing effects on your cold sores.

The Cons:

EOs are potent unnecessarily high concentrations or wrong use cause irritation and might even make your symptoms worse.
Unfortunately, there are many adulterated EO products out in the market that feature misleading claims and labels. Its estimated that more than 75% of all EO on the market are either diluted or contaminated with synthetic material.
EOs arent cure-alls, especially if youre experiencing severe recurring outbreaks. Its best if you use EOs in conjunction with antiviral medication.
Most of the research done on EOs is based mostly on animal studies or cultured cells. Though studies do seem promising, more human studies research is needed to explore EOs potential to serve as antiviral agents.

How To Manage Genital Herpes With Compresses

Warm and cold compresses are the simplest natural treatment for genital herpes. Though the idea of a compress might sound old fashioned, research shows that topical therapy can effectively alleviate symptoms of genital herpes outbreaks and even contribute to the prevention of outbreaks when used promptly.

Here are a few tried-and-true natural compress ideas to get you started:

-Dry, warm compress using warmed rice in a sock
-Cold compress using an ice pack or soft washcloth filled with ice
-Baking soda paste
-Crushed garlic cloves mixed with olive oil
-Topical apple cider vinegar using one-part ACV and three-parts warm water

Facts And Statistics About Herpes

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated two-thirds of the global population under 50 years old are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 .
Estimates for HSV-1 prevalence in the U.S. among people aged 049 years are 178 million women and 142 million men .
In total, about 75 percent or more of the American adult population has the HSV-1 virus that usually causes oral herpes , and about 20 percent to 30 percent have HSV-2 that usually causes genital herpes.
Men and women are affected by HSV-1 about equally. Roughly 6 million women in the U.S. become infected with HSV-1 each year, along with 5 million men.
Slightly more women than men are affected by genital herpes, whether from HSV-1 or HSV-2. Middle-aged women are most likely to acquire genital herpes.
Transmission of HSV most often occurs without symptoms, so its estimated that 85 percent of people with genital herpes dont know it. Many dont have any symptoms at all after the initial infection, and only about 15 percent ever receive a HSV-2 infection diagnosis in their lifetimes.
Most primary oral/facial HSV infections are caused by HSV-1 however, facial infection by HSV-2 is increasingly becoming common.
Less children are becoming infected with HSV-1 than in the past in high-income countries, mostly due to better hygiene and living conditions.
After someone comes into contact with an active herpes outbreak on another person, the incubation period takes about one week.

Why People Are Turning To Essential Oils For Cold Sores

Cold sores, aka fever blisters, are painful, annoying, and can be recurring.

Theyre a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 , not to be confused with HSV-2 which causes genital herpes.

They manifest as small fluid-filled blisters that appear on the outer edge of the lips though they can also appear in the nose or cheek area.

Cold sores are contagious and can be spread by close personal contact, kissing, and oral sex.

They are different from canker sores, which are not caused by the herpes virus and tend to occur in the interior of the mouth instead of on the outer perimeter.

Unfortunately, theres no cure for cold sores, but antiviral medication may help to reduce the frequency of severe cold sore outbreaks and luckily there are natural remedies that can help speed up the healing process.

Because of their immune-boosting, therapeutic, and medicinal properties, essential oils have been increasingly used in recent decades to treat cold sore symptoms.

Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic compounds that are extracted from tree or plant material such as bark, leaves, flowers, roots, resin, fruit, or nut.

Theyve been considered a form of herbal medicine for hundreds of years and their therapeutic application is referred to as aromatherapy.

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Herpes Causes And Risk Factors

Causes of herpes include acquiring the virus through sexual contact, coupled with immune system suppression and sometimes nutritional deficiencies.

HSV-1 is primarily transmitted by oral-oral contact. On the other hand, HSV-2 is considered a sexually transmitted disease and usually passed during oral or vaginal sex.

A scary finding is that more cases of genital herpes than ever before are now being caused by HSV-1 , and about 85 percent of people with genital herpes dont even know it. Studies show that about 50 percent of the new genital herpes infections in young adults are due to HSV-1 and about 40 percent in older adults. The fact that most people dont ever find out theyre infected is one of the reasons that transmission rates are steadily climbing.

Risk factors for acquiring herpes include:

Kissing someone who has symptoms of an active herpes virus
Engaging in any form of unprotected sex
Having sex with multiple partners
Spreading the virus through contact with cold sores on the eyes, secretions on the fingers, or ulcers/sores on buttocks and upper thighs
Having certain other illnesses that lower immune function, such as HIV/AIDS, an autoimmune disorder or hepatitis
Eating a poor diet that causes nutrient deficiencies and lowered immunity
Smoking cigarettes, drinking high amounts of alcohol or abusing drugs