How Much Can Vitamins Or Supplements Really Help
Vitamins and supplements support your bodys natural healing processes in different ways.
Vitamins perform hundreds of essential roles in the body, from bolstering your immune system to repairing cellular damage. So it makes sense that taking vitamins may supercharge your bodys ability to fight the herpes virus and keep it at bay. Though vitamins cant replace antiviral drugs like valacyclovir, they can certainly strengthen your bodys defense mechanisms.
Supplements, meanwhile, do just what their name suggests they support the bodys natural ability to heal by giving it what it might not get through food alone. Since supplements arent regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, its important to discuss your supplement choices with a doctor before changing your routine.
What Foods Help Fight Herpes
To manage chronic inflammation, consume omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods such as chia seeds. Consume a diet high in protein and low in saturated fat, such as almonds and oats, because protein is necessary for the immune system to fight HSV and other organisms.
Healthy diet comprising of oranges, strawberries, and bell peppers are high in vitamin C, which helps herpes outbreaks. It hastens healing and extends the time between outbreaks. Vitamin c also strengthen immune system that sets the body against herpes infections.
Zinc also reduces the number of herpes outbreaks, so eat wheat germ and chickpeas to extend the HSV interval.
Green beans, spinach, and broccoli are high in vitamin B complex, which is necessary for your immune system to fight herpes.
A mouth herpes diet should include fresh, cold, and sweet foods. Cool liquids can be useful. These all helps to speed up the healing process.
Home Remedies For Hsv
Herpes is not a curable disease, but it is treatable.
There are many ways to lessen the severity and frequency of herpes flare-ups, including home remedies that can be used alongside prescription medications.
While most people who have herpes do not experience symptoms at all, others experience one initial outbreak, and others have recurrent outbreaks with painful sores, blisters, or lesions, most often on the mouth or genitals.
For these patients, the goal of treatment is to reduce discomfort, support the healing process, hasten remission, and reduce the frequency of future outbreaks.
In this article, Ill explore how home remedies can help accomplish these treatment goals.
Ill explain the difference between oral and genital herpes, and review the most common symptoms.
Ill go over the major dos and donts for herpes outbreaks.
Then Ill review the latest recommendations around home remedies for herpes, including dietary changes, and Ill explain how these home remedies can be used alongside other treatment options.
Ill discuss steps you can take at home to prevent herpes from flaring up and spreading.
And Ill tell you when to see a doctor about herpes.
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Types Of Antiviral Drugs
There are three oral antivirals recommended for the treatment of oral or genital herpes:
| Famvir, 250 mg | Twice daily |
Preventing genital herpes recurrence is important as it reduces the risk of HIV. According to the CDC, having an active genital herpes infection increases the risk of HIV by 200% to 300%.
How Does Genital Herpes Occur
Genital herpes virus spreads through sexual contact. This occurs even if the person carrying the virus does not have symptoms or show signs of infection.
Once the virus enters through the skin, it travels along nerve paths. The first outbreak of genital herpes may appear as early as two days after you have contracted the virus, or even after 30 days.
The virus may also become dormant in the nerves and remain inactive there indefinitely.
In some patients, the virus may become active from time to time. Active viruses travel back along the nerve path to the surface of the skin, where some viruses are shed. When viruses are shed, in some cases there usually is an outbreak of symptoms such as the appearance of sores and blisters, while in others the condition may remain undetected.In either case, since the virus is active it easily passes from one partner to another during sexual contact. A condom may also not be able to protect the uninfected partner, since the virus may be on a part of the skin which is uncovered.
The herpes simplex virus cannot survive outside the body, therefore, its nearly impossible to contract the infection through contact with toilets, towels or other objects used by an infected person.
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Treating Genital Herpes With Herbal Medicine
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Herpes is a condition that not a lot of people want to talk about. Its not uncommon for me to see a patient who tells me that theyve never talked about their genital herpes before or never told anyone that they have it.
For me it can be very upsetting to see how this particular virus can wreak so much havoc both physically and emotionally for those who suffer with it. Every new flare can cause bouts of anxiety and the more anxious people get, the worse the flares become. Some people go into a depression, socialize less, and stop dating. Even oral herpes which hasnt been sexually contracted can cause feelings of shame and embarrassment for a lot of people. This is where holistic medicine shines. In any condition where the emotions are a trigger for physical symptoms or when physical symptoms cause emotional pain and trauma, its always best to treat the whole person.
Herbal Treatment for Herpes
In addition, I include herbs to address emotional symptoms. For some of my patients who have constant herpes flares, they live in fear of when the next outbreak will come. And when it does come, it sends them into a complete downward spiral emotionally. Herbs cant make these feelings go away, but they can be very calming and grounding. They also help to prevent flares from happening when theres an obvious link where stress and anxiety are the cause of the flares.
Herbs vs Pharmaceuticals
Course of Treatment
Coconut Oil For Genital Herpes
Besides being great for cooking, coconut oil can provide some significant health benefits. In some cultures, the coconut tree is even referred to as the tree of life. Clinical studies on coconut oil and its components have even backed some of these benefits:
Not enough evidence exists yet on coconut oil for genital herpes to prove that it directly treats herpes lesions however, its many beneficial qualities may soothe irritated skin around outbreaks and moisturize dry herpes scabs.
Monolaurin, a coconut-oil-derived fatty acid, has also shown some promise as a natural treatment for genital herpes.
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Aloe Vera Gel For Herpes
Image: Shutterstock
Fresh aloe vera gel
What You Have To Do
You can also use organic aloe vera gel that you find in the market.
How Often You Need To Do This
Do this thrice a day.
Why This Works
Aloe vera has more than 70 potentially active components that exert multiple beneficial effects on the skin. Application of this gel will reduce inflammation, soothe and moisturize the skin, have antiseptic and antiviral effects, and also quicken the healing process .
Can You Get Herpes On Your Tongue
While you may associate herpes type 1 with cold sores on your lips, it is possible to suffer from the symptoms of herpes on your tongue. This is referred to as oral herpes and usually affects more of your mouth than just your tongue. More than half of all adults in the United States are thought to have oral herpes.
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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.
Petroleum Jelly Soothes Irritation And Discomfort
If you have petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, on hand, try dabbing a bit over your cold sore. This provides a soothing aspect, says Russell. For many people thats the major concern its just uncomfortable having a cold sore. Vaseline also provides a small amount of a barrier. Keeping some petroleum jelly over the cold sore will give you a little more relief.
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How Should This Medicine Be Used
Acyclovir comes as a tablet, a capsule, and a suspension to take by mouth. It also comes as a delayed-release buccal tablet to apply to the upper gum of the mouth. The tablets, capsules, and suspension are usually taken with or without food two to five times a day for 5 to 10 days, starting as soon as possible after your symptoms begin. When acyclovir is used to prevent outbreaks of genital herpes, it is usually taken two to five times a day for up to 12 months. The delayed-release buccal tablet is usually applied with a dry finger as a one-time dose within 1 hour after itching, redness, burning or tingling cold sore symptoms begin but before the cold sore appears. Take or use acyclovir at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take or use acyclovir exactly as directed. Do not take or use more or less of it or take it more often or for a longer time than prescribed by your doctor.
Do not chew, crush, suck, or swallow the delayed-release buccal tablets. Drink plenty of liquids, if you have a dry mouth while using the delayed-release buccal tablets.
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Genital Herpes Treatment: Natural Cure Herbs & Remedies
Genital herpes is a common and highly contagious infection usually spread through sex. Also known as the herpes simplex virus-2 , genital herpes treatment usually includes medicines to help sores heal faster and prevent outbreaks.
According to Western medicine, there is no cure for herpes. However, Dr Sebi claims to have cured herpes in addition to other incurable diseases such as HIV, Lupus, Cancer, etc.
In this post well expose all the Dr Sebi secrets we found about treating herpes. However, we are not medical doctors and cannot cure you. You should consult your medical doctor on all items related to health.
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Exploration Of The Effective Concentration And Administration Mode Of Jz
An explanation of the rationale should be provided for the selection of doses, route and frequency of drug administration . We explored the method and concentration of JZ-1 administration. The body weight in the 0.52.5 g/ml JZ-1 groups decreased slowly from day 1 to day 12 , and the vulvar symptom score in 12.5 g/ml JZ-1 groups were lower than those in the model group . It was found that 2.5, 2, 1.5, 1, and 0.5 g/ml JZ-1 had a certain effect on maintaining the bodyweight of genital herpes mice, and the first four concentrations of JZ-1 could alleviate the vulvar symptoms of genital herpes mice. From day 13 to day 20, the bodyweight of mice in the JZ-1 groups increased significantly, and the symptom score showed a downward trend, suggesting that JZ-1 promotes the healing of genital ulcers. Comparing the trend of body weight and symptom score, the state of mice without anesthesia was better than that in mice with anesthesia . JZ-1 administration for 14 days was better than that for 12 and 9 days . So we selected three concentration gradients, 2.5, 1.5, and 0.5 g/ml, for follow-up experiments. By improving and prolonging the cycle of drug administration, we administered the drugs without anesthesia to the mice for 14 days, including 5 days before modeling and 9 days after modeling.
Epsom Salt Bath For Genital Herpes
While many people think of Epsom salt baths for treating sore muscles, they might not realize a soak can help with genital herpes symptoms as well.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends 1020 minutes in a warm Epsom salt bath for genital herpes relief. The Epsom salts cleanse, soothe, and reduce the itching caused by genital herpes lesions.
You can purchase Epsom salts at local pharmacies, online, or even in bulk at animal feed stores.
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Editorial Sources And Fact
Dab On Some Zinc Oxide Skin Cream For Relief
Yes, the same thick white cream that lifeguards put on their noses and you put on a babys diaper rash can be an effective home remedy for cold sores. Apply some every day to speed recovery and relieve the aggravation of the infection. Gels or creams that contain lidocaine are also helpful in reducing your overall discomfort by slightly numbing the area.
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Try Taking The Supplement Lysine
In terms of taking supplements to prevent breakouts, I especially recommend L-lysine. This is the primary supplement for herpes, Gade says. L-lysine is an amino acid, a building block of protein. When you have an outbreak, it can be taken orally to shorten the outbreak in conjunction with an antiviral medication.
Lysine appears to be useful in reducing the number and the severity of outbreaks. The usual daily dose is between 1 and 3 milligrams.
Some studies suggest that taking lysine regularly may help prevent outbreaks of both cold sores and herpes sores. In Gades experience, patients have had no side effects using lysine. In some people, though, there have been reports of the supplement causing abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Treatment Of Common Cutaneous Herpes Simplex Virus Infections
DAVID H. EMMERT, M.D., Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Am Fam Physician. 2000 Mar 15 61:1697-1704.
Herpes simplex virus infection is increasingly common in the United States. New antiviral medications have expanded treatment options for the two most common cutaneous manifestations, orolabial and genital herpes. Acyclovir therapy remains an effective and often less expensive option. Famciclovir and valacyclovir offer improved oral bioavailability and convenient oral dosing schedules but are more expensive than acyclovir. Patients who have six or more recurrences of genital herpes per year can be treated with one of the following regimens: acyclovir, 400 mg twice daily valacyclovir, 1 g daily or famciclovir, 250 mg twice daily. These regimens are effective in suppressing 70 to 80 percent of symptomatic recurrences. Episodic treatment of recurrent genital herpes is of questionable benefit, but it may be helpful in appropriately selected patients. There is little evidence indicating benefit from treatment of recurrent orolabial herpes, which tends to be mild and infrequent.
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Herbal Remedies May Also Offer Relief
Research supports the use of certain botanical remedies. You may want to try one or more of these:
Long dan xie gan tan This Chinese herbal formula has been used to quell symptoms and reduce herpes outbreaks. Its English name is clear liver fire pills. In at least one study, the formulawas shown to inhibit the activity of HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Chinese herbal medicine is always individualized, and there are other formulas that help too, so it is helpful to consult a licensed acupuncturist or herbalist before starting this formula, says Mindich.
Mushrooms Mushrooms boost the immune system, Mindich says, and thus can help prevent recurrent herpes outbreaks. She recommends mushroom products from the Immune & Protection collection of Host Defense and from Myko San. Eating shiitake mushrooms daily has also been found to have a positive effect on the immune system in a study published in April 2015 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Lemon balm This herb, which is related to mint, has traditionally been used to improve brain function and also has antiviral properties. Records concerning the medicinal use of lemon balm date back more than 2,000 years.
Lemon balm can be prepared and drunk as a tea. It can also be applied to the skin to both prevent herpes to prevent outbreaks and reduce symptoms. Research has shown that lemon balm oil directly counteracts herpes viruses.
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A Cure For Herpes There Is Progress To Report
It takes a persistent scientist to stop a persistent virus.
A decade ago, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center virologist Dr. Keith Jerome began exploring the idea that lifelong infections with herpes viruses might be cured by using the DNA-cutting tools of gene therapy.
Initial research showed these techniques could knock out small quantities of latent virus, and the work of improving the results fell to Jeromeâs senior staff scientist, Dr. Martine Aubert. Five years ago, the team reported they had damaged the genes of 2%-4% of herpes virus in infected mice. Aubertâs work was an important proof of principle, but far short of a cure.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
On Aug. 18, the team led by Jerome and Aubert published a paper in Nature Communications showing that, through a series of incremental improvements on their original method, they had destroyed up to 95% of herpes virus lurking in certain nerve clusters of mice.
âThis is the first time that anybody has been able to go in and actually eliminate most of herpes in a body,â said Jerome, who is also spearheading research at Fred Hutch and the University of Washington on COVID-19. âIt is a completely different approach to herpes therapy than anybodyâs ever had before.â
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