Reduce Herpes Outbreak Pain Severity And Speed Up Healing Time Stop Future Outbreaks
By | Submitted On August 18, 2010
Apart from the physical pain that a person with herpes experiences, there is also the emotional turmoil that can break almost anyone’s self-esteem. Having herpes is such a harrowing experience that many people who are affected by this virus is more pained emotionally than physically. It is the embarrassment and the sheer shamefulness of it all that can affect a person more than the disease itself. And since there is still no cure for herpes, the best thing that a person who is afflicted with such a virus can do is to just find ways to reduce herpes outbreaks. There are many way to lessen the outbreaks, one just has to find the ones that will work on him or her. There really is no single solution to this disease so a combination of treatments and medications is in order.
First, one has to accept that herpes outbreaks are closely related to stress so lowering the levels of stress can greatly affect the success of one’s attempt to reduce herpes outbreaks. To remove stress from your life, you can try meditation, relaxation, yoga, breathing exercises, counseling and journaling. These are just suggestions and you can actually do whatever activity you think might relieve you of stress like fishing or playing golf. It all depends on what you love to do. Keep your stress levels at bay and you will not suffer from outbreaks cause by herpes.
What Happens If Herpes Is Left Untreated
Without treatment, sores and outbreaks usually heal on their own. Oral herpes is usually considered a mild infection, but complications may appear in people with weakened immune systems.
The risk of complications with genital herpes is also low, though these include inflammation, swelling, and pain.
Passing HSV-2 to a newborn can be dangerous, however. Doctors may recommend a Cesarean delivery to pregnant people with genital herpes, according to the .
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What Are The Risk Factors For Herpes
Some risk factors for herpes may include:
-Having unprotected sex
-Having sex with multiple partners
-Kissing someone with a herpes virus that is active
-Abuse of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs
-Spreading the virus by touching a cold sore and then touching something else
-Having an autoimmune disorder or illness, such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS
-Poor eating habits that cause nutritional deficiencies
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Support And Advice For Genital Herpes
If you have just found out you have genital herpes, you may feel shocked and may have a lot of questions. It may help you to gather as much information as you can about herpes. This can help you to make fully informed decisions about your treatment, safe sex and preventing further recurrences. Talking to a counsellor about your concerns may also help.
How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores Naturally Fast
Herpes labialis is infection of the lips, mouth, or gums with the herpes simplex virus. It leads to the development of small, painful blisters commonly called cold sores or fever blisters. Cold sores will generally heal themselves in one to two weeks however, taking action can prevent spreading the virus further and speed up the healing process. Here to some steps on how to get rid of cold sores naturally fast:
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Get Help For Herpes From Your Doctor
If you have a stubborn case of genital herpes or are experiencing many recurrences, you may want to consider seeing your doctor for a prescription of valacyclovir , a drug that reduces frequency of attacks, limits their severity, and speeds healing time. This drug, approved by the FDA in 2001, stays in the body longer than acyclovir , so you have to take only one pill a day to fight off recurrences. If you are having your first attack or your recurrences are frequent, or if you believe them to be frequent, talk to your doctor. If you are pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor that you have herpes, since the virus can infect newborns. A strong link was once suspected between genital herpes and cervical cancer. That link is not as strong as once thought, but its still important for women with herpes to get a yearly Pap test.
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 during oral sex and avoid sexual activity during an outbreak.
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What Is Neonatal Herpes
Neonatal herpes can be a very serious infection. Babies generally contract the virus from their birthing parent during childbirth even if the parent doesnt have active lesions. They may also get HSV-1 if an adult with an active cold sore kisses them. Breastfeeding babies can also get HSV-1 from the breast if there are lesions present. But babies cant get herpes from breast milk, so its safe to pump and feed.
Herpes simplex can be more dangerous for young babies because they dont have a fully developed immune system. But most babies with neonatal herpes can recover fully with treatment.
The dangers of neonatal herpes are much higher if the infection spreads to the babys organs. If youre pregnant and have herpes, speak with your healthcare provider about how to lower the risk of passing the infection to your baby.
Antivirals That Require A Prescription
- –Acyclovir is a prescription medication used to improve the healing of sores or blisters caused by a number of conditions, including first-time and repeat outbreaks of genital herpes. It works by slowing or stopping the spread of the herpes virus within the body, but it cannot cure genital herpes.
- –Valacyclovir is another antiviral prescription drug used to treat genital herpes and shingles. Taken twice a day for five days, Valtrex may decrease uncomfortable symptoms and help sores heal faster. In some cases, this antiviral can also prevent new sores from forming.
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Foods That Help Prevent Genital Herpes Outbreaks
While there is no cure for genital herpes, with proper treatment you may control the severity and duration of an outbreak. Along with medication prescribed by your physician, certain foods may be able to help prevent a genital herpes outbreak.
Lysine-Rich Foods
A diet with foods rich in lysine may help reduce reoccurring outbreaks associated with genital herpes and cold sores. The university continues by stating those who consumed the recommended 1 to 3 grams of lysine per day experienced a reduction in outbreak duration and severity. Consume foods such as eggs, potatoes, chicken and fish to increase your lysine consumption. You may also consume lysine supplements. The University of Maryland Medical Center, however states those with heart disease and high cholesterol should avoid consuming lysine as initial studies showcased this compound increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels within animals.
Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Antioxidant-rich foods significantly decreased herpes sore outbreak duration, severity and lesion development. The Cleveland Clinic as well as the Mayo Clinic suggests consuming foods such as citrus fruits, whole grains, sweet potatoes, green vegetables, garlic and vegetable oils to increase your bodys antioxidant count.
Garlic
Include diced, chopped or crushed garlic in entrees and side dishes. Garlic
contains two chemicals, called alliin and allinase, that form an antibacterial
Foods Rich in Vitamin C
Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Yogurt
What Are The Signs Of Herpes In Pregnant Women
If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, there may be a risk of your baby being infected with the virus during delivery. This condition is called neonatal herpes and can be serious or fatal.
Neonatal herpes can result in damage to the central nervous system and can cause mental retardation. Only about 0.1% of babies born in the United States are infected with neonatal herpes even though about 25% to 30% of pregnant women have genital herpes.
Generally, if you are infected with herpes, your doctor will deliver your baby by cesarean section to avoid any risk to your newborn infant.
Women who have herpes before becoming pregnant are at very low risk of transmitting the herpes virus to their babies. If a woman is infected with the herpes virus after becoming pregnant, her baby faces a higher risk of contracting neonatal herpes. Women who are newly infected havent had time to develop the antibodies against the virus and cannot pass them on to the baby for protection.
Talk with your OB/GYN and let them know if you have genital herpes. At the time of your delivery, ask your doctor to examine you early in labor to make sure you dont have any sores or signs of infection like pain, tingling, or itching.
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Prevention Of Genital Herpes
The best protection against STIs is to always use barrier protection such as condoms, female condoms and dams . Because herpes is spread by skin-to-skin contact, condoms will reduce the risk of transmission, but it will not protect sexual partners completely as condoms do not cover the entire genitals.
Using lubricant with a condom during sex will also reduce the risk of trauma to the genital skin. This has been shown to reduce HSV transmission, especially in the first six months of a sexual relationship. Silicone-based lubricants are recommended.
Remember that herpes transmission can occur when symptoms are present , but may also occur even if there are no genital symptoms through asymptomatic viral shedding.
For people who have frequent episodes of genital herpes, antiviral medication, taken daily, helps to reduce transmission of herpes to a sexual partner.
Essential Oil Of Mint
The essential oil of peppermint-pepper is rich in menthol, mentone, cineol and limonene, with antiviral properties preventing replication of the virus, in addition to having anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action that help to combat the symptoms of the labial herpes like pain, swelling and redness.
Ingredients
- 3 drops of essential oil-peppers
- 1 glass of water.
Preparing mode
Add the drops of the essential oil of hort-pepper to the glass with water and mix. Put a little of that mixture into a clean, dry cotton and apply on the wound of the lip herpes for 30 a to 40, 2 a to 3 times a day.
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What Is Herpes Simplex
Herpes simplex is a virus that causes skin infections. The infection lasts your lifetime, and it causes painful or itchy sores and blisters that come and go. Herpes simplex virus typically doesnt cause severe problems. But it can be dangerous in infants and people with weakened immune systems. There are two types of herpes simplex:
- Herpes simplex 1 tends to affect your mouth or face. It causes cold sores. HSV-1 spreads through contact with saliva .
- Herpes simplex 2 is a sexually transmitted disease . It causes sores on skin that comes in contact with the genitals of an infected person.
Sometimes a herpes infection can affect other parts of your body, such as your eyes or other parts of your skin.
Expect The First Outbreak To Be The Worst
Remember that although herpes lasts a lifetime, the first outbreak typically causes the most pain, while later outbreaks tend to be much milder.
You will always have herpes, and the sores will come and go, but you can decide not to treat the current outbreak. If its not that unpleasant or uncomfortable, some patients will do that, says Gade.
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How Do You Manage Herpes Long
Management with treatment:
- You may need to consider suppression treatment if you experience many outbreaks in a year
- You can buy antiviral creams for cold sores from a pharmacy, but should see your doctor if the sore lasts more than 5-7 days
- For genital herpes treatment, your doctor may refer you to a sexual health clinic
- Treatment of an acute short-term infection is simple and involves taking a course of antiviral tablets. There are different types of antiviral tablets which can be used. Some courses are higher strength and only need to be taken for 1 to 2 days, and some are taken for 5 days. You may need longer treatment if new symptoms develop during treatment or of your treatment doesnt completely heal your symptoms. You should speak to your doctor if this happens
Managing oral herpes :
- avoid direct physical contact with people
- avoid sharing items that can pass the virus on such as cups, cutlery, make up or lip balm. You can still use communal facilities such as showers, toilets or swimming pools.
- dont participate in oral sex or kissing
- wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly after applying antiviral cream or after touching the sore avoid touching the sore unless you need to apply treatment
Managing genital herpes don’t have sex during an outbreak of genital herpes or during the initial signs of an outbreak . The following preventative steps will reduce the risk of passing it to partners:
Telling a partner about herpes:
Emotional impact:
Complications Of Oral Herpes
Theres no current cure for oral herpes . The virus remains in your system once its transmitted.
Blisters can disappear and reappear throughout your life. When you dont have visible symptoms, it means the virus is inactive, but you can still transmit it to others. Many people dont develop visible symptoms.
For the most part, oral herpes is a mild infection. Sores usually clear up on their own without treatment.
In rare cases, complications can occur. This is more likely to happen in people who have a weakened immune system, perhaps due to age or a chronic illness.
Possible complications can include dehydration if drinking becomes painful due to oral blisters. If left untreated, dehydration can lead to serious problems. This certainly isnt likely to occur. Just make sure youre drinking enough, even if its uncomfortable.
Another incredibly rare complication of oral herpes is encephalitis. This occurs when the viral infection travels to the brain and causes inflammation. Encephalitis isnt usually life-threatening. It may only cause mild flu-like symptoms.
Minor complications of oral herpes include a skin infection if the virus comes in contact with broken skin. This can occur if you have a cut or eczema. It can sometimes be a medical emergency if cold sores cover widespread areas of skin.
Children with oral herpes may develop herpes whitlow. If a child sucks their thumb, blisters can form around the finger.
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Where Do Symptoms Appear
When a person has genital herpes, the virus lies dormant in the bundle of nerves at the base of the spine. When the virus reactivates , it travels nerve paths to the surface of the skin, sometimes causing an outbreak.
Genital herpes, regardless of whether it is HSV-1 or HSV-2, does not cause symptoms on the mouth or face. For more on oral-facial herpes, see the oral herpes page.
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Is Genital Herpes Related To Shingles
Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus , which causes chickenpox earlier in life. The natural history of varicella zoster infection is similar to genital herpes infection in that VZV also becomes latent in the sensory nerve roots. Later in life the virus may exit, causing shingles.
Recurrences in shingles cause blister lesions in a single area of skin called a dermatome. Shingles is not a sexually transmitted infection and is independent from genital herpes.
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Is It Possible To Cure Herpes
Unfortunately, herpes has no cure as the virus invades your immune system once you are infected with the virus, you have it for life. This is the same for whether you have oral or genital herpes.
An infection doesn’t mean symptoms are guaranteed most oral or genital infections dont cause any symptoms. Its very common for people to have come into contact with the virus at some point in their lives and carry the virus without ever having any symptoms. The virus lays dormant in your body after your initial infection and can reactivate several times a year or even months or years later. The time in which the virus reactivates varies from person to person. People do not spontaneously cure themselves of herpes.
Not everyone who has been infected with herpes goes on to show symptoms, or have outbreaks. The severity of outbreaks also varies from person to person and is hard to predict.
What Is Oral Herpes
Oral herpes, commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters, is caused by the herpes virus. Unfortunately, once youre infected, there is no cure for herpes. For most people, sores may unexpectedly reappear throughout their lives, although the rate at which oral herpes recurs is unpredictable and varies from person to person. Some people will have multiple outbreaks in one year, while others may only have one episode in their entire lives.
A typical outbreak consists of a number of blister-like, reddish sores that are grouped together and that can ooze a clear fluid. These sores generally develop around the mouth near or on the lips, or sometimes on the chin, on the cheeks or inside the nose. Warning signs of an outbreak include a tingling or burning feeling, after which the blisters start to appear. After several days, the blisters dry and form scabs or crusts, which then disappear after a few more days, with or without treatment. Once the sores have disappeared, the virus becomes dormant until it is reactivated.
Herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases , prompting many to wonder how to get rid of herpes naturally.
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