How To Control Herpes 2

Talk To Your Doctor About Antiviral Medications

There are two brands of antiviral medications available to treat herpes. Either can be used to take daily as a suppressive therapy or episodically when there is an outbreak. Discuss with your doctor how often you are experiencing outbreaks and your symptoms. Together you can decide which, if any, medication is best for you.

What Are The Symptoms Of Herpes Simplex

Many people with the infection never experience any herpes symptoms. If you do notice symptoms, youll experience them differently depending on whether youre having your first herpes outbreak or a repeat outbreak. Recurring symptoms are usually milder than the first outbreak. Symptoms dont last as long with later outbreaks. Some people may only have one or two outbreaks during their lifetime. Others may have as many as four or five outbreaks a year.

People who do have herpes symptoms may experience:

• Cold sores around their lips, mouth or tongue. They may look crusty or like fluid-filled blisters.
• Tingling, itching or burning.
• Pain while urinating.

How Do I Relieve Std Itching

The absolute best way to relieve STD itching is by visiting a doctor for help with treating and curing the symptoms of whatever it is that you have contracted. While waiting for the treatment to take affect and still suffering from the symptoms of an STD, however, there are a few things you can do to soothe irritation. Oral pain relievers, wearing loose fitting clothing, keeping the genitals dry, and refraining from the use of irritating soaps, douches or intimate cleansing products may all provide relief from STD itching.

STD itching is commonly described as a persistent itch in the genital or pelvic region. While many conditions that are not sexually transmitted may cause symptoms similar to STD itching, such as a yeast infection, genital itching is often caused by scabies, herpes, Chlamydia or a host of other sexually transmitted diseases. Health experts recommend a full medical examination to find out the source of itching and treat it promptly. While waiting to visit a doctor, however, individuals can relieve severe itching by taking an over-the-counter pain medication.

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How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Herpes Simplex

Preventing HSV-1

You can reduce your risk of contracting HSV-1 by avoiding physical contact with someone who has a cold sore. People can still spread HSV-1 when cold sores arent present, but its less likely.

If someone has an active HSV-1 infection, avoid:

• Sharing utensils, cups, lip balms or other personal care products.
• Touching the skin near their mouth.

Preventing HSV-2

If youre sexually active, you can take these steps to protect yourself and others from the herpes virus and other STIs:

• Be monogamous with one sexual partner or limit your number of partners.
• Get tested for STIs and complete any prescribed treatment.
• Tell your sexual partners if you have genital herpes so they can get tested.
• Use condoms during intercourse and dental dams during oral sex.

Wash your hands often if you have an outbreak or are around someone with symptoms.

If your sexual partner has genital herpes, these actions can lower your risk of getting the virus:

• Dont have sex when your partner has active symptoms. Condoms may not cover all sores, so you may still get the virus.
• Make sure your partner takes antiviral medication as prescribed.
• Wait to have sex until scabs fall off active lesions.

When To See A Doctor

Because a person might not have symptoms even if they have herpes, it can be difficult to know when to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Planned Parenthood recommends that a person see a healthcare professional as soon as they notice sores on or around their genitals. Other STIs, such as syphilis, can have similar symptoms but require different treatment. The American Sexual Health Association also recommends seeing a doctor to get a culture of any lesion or cold sore a person notices.

People may wish to take an at-home STI test before seeing a doctor. However, at-home tests should not replace professional diagnosis and treatment.

• applying aloe vera gel to sores
• applying petroleum jelly to the affected areas
• wearing loose clothing to avoid irritation
• refraining from sexual activity, even with protection, until symptoms have gone
• applying a cream or lotion to the urethra before urinating, such as one that contains lidocaine

Some people find that using ice packs help. However, never apply ice directly to the skin wrap it in a cloth first.

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How Herpes Is Spread

You are most likely to spread herpes when you have a herpes sore or blister. But many people have time periods when they can still spread the virus even though they dont have symptoms.

And some people spread the infection because they dont realize that they have a herpes sore. Or they may have different symptoms, such as painful urination, that they dont realize are part of an outbreak.

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How Is Genital Herpes Managed Or Treated

If you have mild symptoms or infrequent outbreaks, you might not need or want treatment. During an outbreak, these steps can ease symptoms:

• Apply an ice pack to your genitals. Wrap the ice pack in a washcloth or apply it over your underwear.
• Keep genitals dry. Wear cotton or other nonsynthetic underpants and avoid tight-fitting clothes. Moist sores take longer to heal.
• Soak in a warm bath.
• Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing.

Antiviral medications can prevent outbreaks. They can also lessen symptoms and help symptoms go away faster. You take this medicine as a pill, intravenous injection or skin cream. When taken daily, antivirals can prevent an outbreak. They lower the chances of spreading the virus to other people.

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Understanding Herpes With H Hunter Handsfield Md

Herpes expert H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, explains the basics about genital herpes, including the difference between genital HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection, testing options and the importance of knowing virus type, and the three-prong strategy for prevention. See more herpes videos at sexualhealthTV.com.

Have a question about herpes youd like Dr. Handsfield or our other experts to answer? Visit our Ask the Experts page to learn how.

Should You Get Tested

Its a good idea for the partners of people with genital herpes to have a blood test for herpes antibodies. This can help them to decide whether to use antiviral medication as protection, for example. Both partners may already have the same virus type. Then theres no reason to take medication to protect each other.

If one of the partners has HSV-1 or cold sores and the other one has HSV-2 or genital herpes, they could infect one another with the other virus. If one partner has herpes viruses in their body and the other doesnt, condoms are one way to prevent infection.

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How Does Genital Herpes Affect A Pregnant Woman And Her Baby

Neonatal herpes is one of the most serious complications of genital herpes.5,16 Healthcare providers should ask all pregnant women if they have a history of genital herpes.11 Herpes infection can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth, or babies may be infected shortly after birth, resulting in a potentially fatal neonatal herpes infection. 17 Infants born to women who acquire genital herpes close to the time of delivery and are shedding virus at delivery are at a much higher risk for developing neonatal herpes, compared with women who have recurrent genital herpes . 16,18-20 Thus, it is important that women avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy. Women should be counseled to abstain from intercourse during the third trimester with partners known to have or suspected of having genital herpes. 5,11

What Is Oral Herpes

More than half of American adults have oral herpes. Some estimates say up to 80% of American adults have oral herpes.

Oral herpes is primarily caused by HSV-1, although it is also possible to have an HSV-2 infection around the mouth.

A person with an oral herpes outbreak may first feel itching, burning, or tingling around the mouth, lips, or tongue. Later, cold sores or small blisters may develop in these areas or anywhere on the skin.

Roughly four to six days after these cold sores start leaking, they start healing by forming a crust. Outbreaks of oral herpes can last for two to three weeks, which can be shorter than the two to six weeks of a genital herpes outbreak.

People who develop symptoms of herpes may first experience tingling, itching, or burning, then notice sores or blisters forming around the mouth or genitals.

Symptoms tend to develop 220 days after exposure to the virus.

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What You Need To Know

• Herpes simplex virus , also known as genital herpes, is most likely to be spread when an infected person is having an outbreak, but it can also be transmitted without any symptoms being present.
• Medications can help reduce your symptoms, speed up the healing of an outbreak and make you less contagious.
• If you know you have genital herpes before becoming pregnant, your physician will monitor your condition throughout your pregnancy. If you have an active outbreak at the time of delivery, cesarean section may be recommended.

How Do I Talk With People About Having Herpes

It might feel scary to admit you have herpes, but talking about things can really ease your mind. You could lean on a close, non-judgmental friend that you trust to keep the conversation private. Parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and other family members can also be a source of comfort. Remember, herpes is really common, so its possible the person youre talking to has herpes, too.

There are a lot of online support groups for people who have herpes, and the American Sexual Health Association has a list of support groups that meet in person.

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Best Vitamin D Supplement: Pure Encapsulations D3 Liquid

• Pros: vitamin D can support the immune system, easy to take
• Cons: expensive, delivers above recommended daily dose of vitamin D

This vitamin D3 tincture is free of gluten and genetically modified organisms and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Pure Encapsulations claims this product may help improve cardiovascular and immune health and support bone, prostate, and colon function.

The serving size of this tincture is five drops. The product labeling states each serving contains 25 micrograms of vitamin D3.

This product is suitable for vegans who want to supplement their food with more vitamin D3, especially those who prefer a liquid form rather than a tablet.

Pure Encapsulations D3 Liquid cost $34.95.

• Pros: may support the immune system, can be added to drinks
• Cons: delivers significantly more vitamin E than daily allowances recommend

These raw vitamin E capsules do not contain any GMOs, synthetic binders, fillers, or artificial flavors. Additional ingredients of this product include fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K, and selenium.

Garden of Life claims these vitamin supplements can help support eye and immune health.

This product is also suitable for vegetarians.

The company recommends people take two capsules daily, either with or without food. A person can also break the capsules apart and add the powder to their drinks.

Each serving size has the following nutritional facts:

• Vitamin A: 900 mcg

Medical professionals may also recommend prescription gels or ointments.

How Can I Prevent Giving Genital Herpes To My Partner

You can reduce the risk of passing the herpes virus to your sexual partners by taking the following steps:

• Tell current sexual partners that you have genital herpes. You also should tell future partners before having sexual contact.

• Be alert to the symptoms that signal an outbreak is coming. Avoid sexual contact from the time you feel symptoms until a few days after the sores have gone away.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after any possible contact with sores.

• Take antiviral medication on a daily basis .

• Use male latex condoms.

Its also important to know that you can pass HSV to someone else even when you do not have sores . The virus can be present on skin that looks normal, including right before and after an outbreak.

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Can I Treat Herpes Simplex At Home

Avoiding known triggers, such as illness or stress, can help reduce how often you have herpes outbreaks.

How can I ease my symptoms during an outbreak of HSV-1 ?

• Over-the-counter creams such as L-lysine, benzocaine or docosanol .
• Applying ice to blisters or sores.

How can I ease my symptoms during an outbreak of HSV-2 ?

• Apply an ice pack to your genitals. Wrap the ice pack in a washcloth or apply it over your underwear.
• Keep your genitals dry. Wear cotton or other nonsynthetic underpants and avoid tight-fitting clothes. Moist sores take longer to heal.
• Soak in a warm bath.
• Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain.
• Topical 1% or 2% lidocaine may be used as a topical analgesic.

Genital Herpes Guide: Treatment And Follow

• Etiology and epidemiology

Treatment and follow-up guidance for the genital herpes.

Note: This guide provides minimal information about neonatal herpes. For more information, refer to the Canadian Paediatric Society Position Statement about the prevention and management of neonatal herpes simplex virus infections.

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Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• What is the best treatment for me?
• Are there any side effects to my treatment?
• Is it safe to have unprotected sex if I dont have any sores?
• Can I give myself genital herpes if I also have oral herpes?
• Can I give someone else herpes even if Im not having an outbreak?
• What is the best way to prevent herpes outbreaks?
• Can I live a normal life with herpes?
• Am I at risk of developing any other diseases?
• Are there any support groups in my area?
• If I give my baby herpes, what is the treatment?

How Is It Treated

Although there is no cure, medicine can relieve pain and itching and help sores heal faster. If you have a lot of outbreaks, you may take medicine every day to limit the number of outbreaks.

After the first outbreak, some people have just a few more outbreaks over their lifetime, while others may have 4 to 6 outbreaks a year. Usually the number of outbreaks decreases after a few years.

Treatment works best if it is started as soon as possible after the start of an outbreak. This is especially true for outbreaks that come back again and again.

Finding out that you have herpes may cause you to feel bad about yourself or about sex. Counseling or a support group may help you feel better.

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Symptoms Of Genital Herpes

Many people who have genital herpes may not be aware they have the infection, because they may not have any symptoms.

The first episode of herpes can cause considerable pain and distress. Symptoms of the first episode may include:

• flu-like symptoms such as feeling unwell, headaches and pains in the back and legs, with or without enlarged glands in the groin
• small blisters around the genitals these break open to form shallow, painful ulcers, which scab over and heal after one to two weeks
• small cracks in the skin with or without an itch or tingling
• redness or a distinct rash
• some people also have considerable pain and swelling in the genital area, and hence may have additional pain and difficulty passing urine.

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Can Women Who Have Sex With Women Get Genital Herpes

Yes. It is possible to get genital herpes, or any other STI, if you are a woman who has sex only with women.

Talk to your partner about her sexual history before having sex, and ask your doctor or nurse about getting tested if you have signs or symptoms of genital herpes. Use a dental dam during oral sex and avoid sexual activity during an outbreak.

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How Big Is The Risk Of Infection

The likelihood of being infected with genital herpes during sex depends on many factors, including how often you have sex, whether and how frequently you use condoms, and how long your partner has already been infected. Someone who has had the virus for a long time is less contagious than someone who has just been infected. In general, women have a higher risk of becoming infected than men. Having other sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV also increases the risk of transmission.

In studies with couples where one partner had genital herpes, the other partner became infected within one year in 5 to 10% of the couples. The people in these studies only rarely used condoms, though and if they did, it was mostly during an outbreak. One of these studies showed that infection occurred in an estimated 1 out of 1,000 sexual acts.

What Are The Complications Of Genital Herpes

Genital herpes may cause painful genital ulcers that can be severe and persistent in persons with suppressed immune systems, such as HIV-infected persons. 5 Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can also cause rare but serious complications such as aseptic meningitis . 5 Development of extragenital lesions may occur during the course of infection. 5

There are also potential complications for a pregnant woman and her newborn child. See How does herpes infection affect a pregnant woman and her baby? below for information about this.

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