Ways To Help Genital Herpes Heal Faster

Herpes Outbreak Treatment Options

Even without treatment, most herpes outbreaks go away on their own. There are treatments available, however, which have been proven to shorten and even prevent future outbreaks. These antiviral medications work by preventing the virus from making copies of itself and spreading through your cells to cause an outbreak. If you suffer from oral herpes, a healthcare provider may recommend a topical cream or ointment that you should apply at the first sign of an outbreak. If you experience recurrent genital herpes outbreaks, you may be offered oral herpes treatments which are pills you take by mouth. Examples of antiviral drugs include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir . These are all standard options proven to help decrease the severity and length of outbreaks from herpes .

Prescription antiviral treatments are usually very effective at prevent future outbreaks, reducing the chance of experiencing an outbreak by 7080%. Many people on antiviral therapy report experiencing no herpes symptoms at all . Using medication within the first 24 hours of symptoms can shorten outbreaks by several hours or days, ultimately reducing any discomfort in the long run .

Types Of Antiviral Drugs

There are three oral antivirals recommended for the treatment of oral or genital herpes:

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 Is Genital Herpes Spread

The two virus species that cause the disease are transmitted by contact from one person to another, but also between two areas of a persons body.

The infected area will be affected by a herpes outbreak between two days and two weeks after exposure to the virus, or the outbreak may simply not occur even though the person has been infected with the virus.

In research conducted by scientists at the universities of California and Washington on the relationship between personal hygiene habits and infection by sexually transmitted diseases, the results of which were published in BMJ Journals in 2017, it has been revealed hair removal is correlated with infection by viruses or bacteria that cause these diseases, including viruses that cause herpes in the genitals.

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What Is The Usual Treatment For Genital Herpes

The doctor may prescribe antiviral tablets to speed up healing and reduce the severity of a first episode. Aciclovir is the most commonly used antiviral drug for treating genital herpes. You dont need the tablets if the first episode is mild, or if you have almost recovered before you see the doctor.If you get more episodes later on, you will be less likely to be offered with antiviral tablets as symptoms clear up without treatment.

To prevent a recurrence with antiviral tablets, you need to start taking them within 24 hours of noticing the beginning of any sensations.

When you start after 24 hours, it is unlikely that the tablets will have much effect. This is why you should have a prescription or tablets ready, so that you can start to take them as soon as possible see dosing information below.

If you are getting a lot of recurrences, you could take antiviral tablets daily see dosing information below.

Members can ask for our antiviral drug fact sheet see subscription form. And we offer self-help suggestions too.

Treatment For Oral Herpes

The antiviral medications available in pill form have been specifically developed for the treatment of genital herpes. However, it is not uncommon for healthcare providers to prescribe the antiviral drugs to those who have frequent or severe outbreaks of oral herpes.

A recent study found valacyclovir to be effective for treating oral herpes in a one-day treatment of 2 grams taken at the first sign of a cold sore, and then again about 12 hours later.

There are two topical antiviral medications prescribed for the treatment of oral HSV symptoms: acyclovir ointment and penciclovir cream. Both work to speed up the healing process and reduce the viral activity. These topical drugs are put directly on the lesions themselves, but can also be used at the onset of prodrome.

Other topical treatments for oral herpes are available over-the-counter , but are not antiviral compounds like acyclovir and penciclovir. Some also contain ingredients that numb the area and induce temporary relief from the discomfort of an outbreak. Unfortunately, some OTC treatments may actually delay the healing time of symptoms because they can further irritate the area with repeated applications. There is only one OTC FDA-approved cream, called Abreva®, which has been clinically proven to help speed the healing process.

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Dos And Donts For Herpes Outbreaks

Before going into the treatment options for herpes, its important to note a few important dos and donts to keep in mind when an outbreak occurs.

Things you should or should not do when you have an oral herpes outbreak include:

• Do wash your hands after any time you touch a sore.
• Do get rid of your toothbrush and start using a new one.
• Do protect your lips with lip balm.
• Do take steps to reduce stress, which can worsen outbreaks.
• Dont share cups, utensils, towels, or lip balms.
• Dont kiss while a sore is present.
• Dont try to pop or drain cold sores.

Things you should or should not do when you have a genital herpes outbreak include:

• Do wash your hands after any time you touch a sore.
• Do take steps to reduce stress, which can worsen outbreaks.
• Do wear cotton underwear and loose clothing.
• Do keep your genital area clean and dry except when showering.
• Dont take baths or use hot tubs.
• Dont have sex since the virus has a higher risk of transmission.
• Dont try to pop or drain genital sores.

How Is Genital Herpes Treated

Although there’s no cure for genital herpes, 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.

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

Treatment includes:

• Medicines. Antiviral medicines are the recommended treatment. They can relieve the pain and discomfort of blisters and sores and speed healing. These medicines also decrease the number of days you are contagious and may help prevent outbreaks.
• Home treatment to help sores heal. Examples include taking warm sitz baths and wearing cotton underwear.

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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What Triggers Herpes Outbreaks

2018 article , the initial outbreak of genital herpes is usually the result of skin contact, normally during sexual activity, including oral sex. Further outbreaks can be caused by having multiple sexual partners, stress, sunlight, colds, menstruation, and wearing tight clothes.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association writes that cold sores can be triggered by stress, fatigue, colds, flu, strong sunlight, and menstruation.

Treatment If The Blisters Come Back

Go to a GP or sexual health clinic if you have been diagnosed with genital herpes and need treatment for an outbreak.

Antiviral medicine may help shorten an outbreak by 1 or 2 days if you start taking it as soon as symptoms appear.

But outbreaks usually settle by themselves, so you may not need treatment.

Recurrent outbreaks are usually milder than the first episode of genital herpes.

Over time, outbreaks tend to happen less often and be less severe. Some people never have outbreaks.

Some people who have more than 6 outbreaks in a year may benefit from taking antiviral medicine for 6 to 12 months.

If you still have outbreaks of genital herpes during this time, you may be referred to a specialist.

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Learn How To Manage Outbreaks

While thereâs no cure for genital herpes, there is a lot that can be done to reduce the length and severity of outbreaks.

A number of proven medications speed up the healing process and reduce discomfort. Antiviral medications like acyclovir and valacyclovir offer a simple way to control and minimize herpes outbreaks.

Start taking acyclovir as soon as you notice the first signs of an emerging outbreak. This medication stops the herpes virus from growing and spreading during an outbreak, though it canât remove the virus from your body completely. Most people experience relief within just a few days.

Improving lifestyle habits may also prevent future herpes outbreaks:

• Stay rested to support a strong immune system
• Eat nutritious foods to support your bodyâs innate healing response
• Use the Luminance RED

The Luminance RED nourishes the skin with red light, which is metabolized to accelerate the bodyâs healing process and to strengthen its defenses against future attacks. Regular use of the Luminance RED not only shortens the healing time of active outbreaks, but can also prevent future outbreaks altogether!

How Can You Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections

Here are some ways to help prevent STIs.

• Limit your sex partners. Sex with one partner who has sex only with you can reduce your risk of getting an STI.
• Talk with your partner or partners about STIs before you have sex. Find out if they are at risk for an STI. Remember that it’s possible to have an STI and not know it.
• Wait to have sex with new partners until you’ve each been tested.
• Don’t have sex if you have symptoms of an infection or if you are being treated for an STI.
• Use a condom every time you have sex. Condoms are the only form of birth control that also helps prevent STIs.
• Don’t share sex toys. But if you do share them, use a condom and clean the sex toys between each use.

Vaccines are available for some STIs, such as HPV. Ask your doctor for more information.

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Best For Online Consultations: Lemonaid

• Price: $25 for consultation and prescription, cost of medication varies
• Pros: convenient online appointments and medication delivery
• Cons: does not accept insurance for consultations

This telehealth company provides prescription medications for herpes.

People must fill in an online health questionnaire and provide a photo ID. Depending on the state a person resides in, Lemonaid may require a video or telephone consultation with a healthcare professional.

The company offers preventive treatment with a prescription that lasts for 1 year or immediate treatment for current herpes flare-ups.

People can choose home delivery or pick up their medication at a local pharmacy.

However, Lemonaid does not offer genital herpes prescription medications for people using the service for the first time. In this case, users must go to a doctor or gynecologist for an initial diagnosis.

The majority of Lemonaid consultation fees cost a flat rate of $25. This fee does not cover the cost of medication.

How Can I Help My Genital Herpes Heal Faster

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When To Call A Doctor

Check in with your doctor or healthcare provider if you notice or experience any of the following:

• Worsening outbreak symptoms in spite of medicine or proper management
• Sores that do not heal after 2-4 weeks
• Frequent outbreaks
• An outbreak during pregnancy

If you have never had genital herpes before, see a medical provider for an accurate diagnosis and treatment options.

Subsequent outbreaks of herpes do not always require medical care unless you notice any complications, problems healing, or become pregnant.

While there is no cure for genital herpes, a medical provider can recommend OTC and other treatments that may speed the healing time of sores, reduce the frequency of outbreaks, and relieve discomfort.

Genital herpes may feel like an embarrassing problem, but you deserve to be comfortable.

A medical doctor will not shame you, but will help you to get proper care and find relief.

You can even chat with a K Health doctor right in the app, without leaving your home.

When Treatments For Genital Herpes Are Given

• Initial treatment. If you have symptoms such as sores when you’re first diagnosed with genital herpes, your doctor will usually give you a brief course of antiviral therapy to relieve them or prevent them from getting worse. Your doctor may keep you on the drugs longer if the sores don’t heal in that time.

After the first treatment, work with your doctor to come up with the best way to take antiviral therapies. There are two options:

• Intermittent treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for you to keep on hand in case you have another flare-up this is called intermittent therapy. You can take the pills for two to five days as soon as you notice sores or when you feel an outbreak coming on. Sores will heal and disappear on their own, but taking the drugs can make the symptoms less severe and make them go away faster.
• Suppressive treatment. If you have outbreaks often, you may want to consider taking an antiviral drug every day. Doctors call this suppressive therapy. For someone who has more than six outbreaks a year, suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks by 70% to 80%. Many people who take the antiviral drugs daily have no outbreaks at all.

There is no set number of outbreaks per year that doctors use to decide when someone should start suppressive therapy. Rather, more important factors are how often the outbreaks happen and if they are severe enough to interfere with your life.

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Can A Vegetarian/vegan Take Antiviral Pills

Most antiviral pills are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. See Professionals page for more information.

Advertisement:There are now UK-based websites, such as MedExpress, which are authorised by the Care Quality Commission to sell aciclovir for treating genital herpes to diagnosed patients.

Beware: Many other websites advertise fake treatments or even cures. They may include testimonials and statements by people who claim to be doctors. They are scams. Do not be fooled.

Who Gets Genital Herpes

Anyone can get genital herpes. It usually is spread by having sex with someone who has herpes. You can get genital herpes from having oral sex with someone who has cold sores. Herpes also can be spread from one part of your body to another, such as from your genitals to your fingers, then to your eyes or other parts of your body. It also can be spread from a mother to her baby when she gives birth.

If you have herpes, you can spread the virus to other people whether or not you have open sores.

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How To Get Rid Of Genital Herpes Outbreaks Quickly & Safely

There is no cure for genital herpes, but there are many over-the-counter treatment optionsas well as supplements, herbs, topical treatments, and even dietary changesthat may help clear up outbreaks faster.

In this article, Ill talk about the early warning signs of genital herpes, outline some medicines and at-home treatments for outbreaks, and information on howto heal herpes sores faster.

Ill help you understand what is safe and backed by reliable evidence.

And Ill tell you when to talk to your doctor.

How Do I Treat Genital Herpes

For most people antiviral medicine is not necessary either because their body prevents recurrent symptoms or because they find that adopting a healthier life style makes a difference. See What can I do to prevent frequent recurrences? For people who are unlucky and get frequent recurrences, there are two ways that antiviral tablets can be used.

The detailed dosages below are taken directly from the experts guideline on the website of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV.

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How Long Do Herpes Outbreaks Last

When you hear the word herpes, the image that comes to mind is probably one of a sore at the edge of your lip that crops up every time you have a cold or a fever. But herpes is a little more complicated that that. Believe it or not, most people who have herpes have absolutely no idea. Thats because, for the most part, the virus can be entirely asymptomatic. Usually the first infection when it comes to oral herpes happens sometime during childhood and not from sexual contact, and the symptoms are a lot more like a cold. In severe cases, the initial outbreak can involve a fever, swollen lymph nodes, swollen gums, and sores in your mouth, throat, or on your tongue. An initial herpes outbreak lasts around 14 days but can take up to six weeks for sores to fully heal .

While oral herpes is most commonly caused by herpes simplex virus 1 , genital herpes is more frequently cause by herpes simplex virus 2 .

Much like oral herpes, an initial genital herpes infection can last a lot longer than subsequent outbreaks and may be accompanied by fever and other whole-body symptoms and some symptoms may persist for weeks. Recurrent genital herpes outbreaks cause symptoms like itching, redness, and irritation in the genital area, but like oral herpes, genital herpes can also be asymptomatic . A genital herpes outbreak may begin with pain in the genitals and shooting pains or tingling in your legs, hips, or butt. These symptoms usually occur before you can see any blisters or lesions .