What Can I Use For Herpes Outbreak

How Is Genital Herpes Treated

Herpes has no cure. But antiviral medicines can prevent or shorten outbreaks during the time you take the medicine. Also, daily suppressive therapy for herpes can lower your chance of spreading the infection to your partner.

Your doctor will either give you antiviral medicine to take right after getting outbreak symptoms or to take regularly to try to stop outbreaks from happening. Talk to your doctor about treatment options.

During outbreaks, you can take the following steps to speed healing and prevent spreading herpes to other parts of your body or to other people:

• Keep sores clean and dry.
• Try not to touch the sores.
• Wash your hands after any contact with the sores.
• Avoid all sexual contact from the time you first notice symptoms until the sores have healed.

What Are The Side Effects Of Zovirax Cream

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that may be associated with Zovirax cream. Just because a side effect is stated here doesnt mean that all people using this cream will experience that or any side effect.

Uncommon side effects

• Temporary stinging or burning sensation after applying the cream.
• Mild drying or flaking of the skin where the cream is applied.
• Itching at the area of application.

Rare side effects

• Flushing of the skin.
• Allergic inflammation of the skin .

If you want any more information about the possible side effects of Zovirax cream, read the leaflet provided with the medicine or talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

If you think you have experienced side effects from Zovirax cream you can report them using the yellow card scheme.

What Can I Do If I Have Herpes Simplex 2

Many people who find out they have herpes feel depressed knowing theyâll always have the virus and can give it to others. But you arent alone. Herpes is one of the most common STIs, both in the U.S. and worldwide. If you have herpes, you should:

• Learn all you can about it. Information will help you to manage your disease and feel better about yourself.
• Talk about your illness with your doctor.

If you have herpes, you can still:

• Have sex if you use a condom or dental dam , and you tell your partner about your illness. Some couples, who have sexual relations only with each other, may choose not to use condoms even though one partner has herpes. Because each situation is different, you should ask your doctor if this is the right choice for you in your relationship.
• Have children. People with herpes can still give birth to healthy babies. If you have herpes and plan to have children, discuss your illness with your healthcare provider.

If you have herpes, you should also get checked for HIV and other STIs .

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How To Use Acyclovir Cream

Read the Patient Information Leaflet available from your pharmacist. Consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Use this medication at the first sign of infection . Wash your hands with soap and water before and after applying this medication. Clean and dry the affected areas before applying the medication. Apply to the affected area and rub in gently, usually 5 times a day for 4 days for cold sores, or as directed by your doctor. Apply enough cream to cover all affected areas .

Apply to skin only. Do not apply this medication in the eyes or nose, inside the mouth, or inside the . If you do get medication in those areas, flush with plenty of water.

Dosage is based on your medical condition, type of infection, and response to treatment. Do not use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed.

Use this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. This medication works best when the amount of drug absorbed by the skin stays at a constant level. Therefore, use this drug at evenly spaced intervals. To help you remember, use it at the same times each day.

To prevent washing off the medication, do not bathe, shower, or swim right after applying it.

If applying to genital herpes sores, use a finger cot or rubber gloves to avoid spreading the infection.

Do not apply other skin products unless told to do so by your doctor. Do not cover the area with plastic or waterproof bandages unless told to do so by your doctor.

Zovirax Topical Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Common side effects may include:

• dry, cracked, or peeling lips

• dryness or flaking of treated skin

• burning, stinging, or itching when the medicine is applied.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Genital herpes can be treated, but it cannot be cured.Anti-viral medicines can make outbreaks:

Living with genital herpes causes some people to:

• Feel embarrassed or ashamed
• Worry about infecting a sexual partner
• Worry that having herpes will affect relationships with sexual partners
• Avoid dating or sexual relationships

Most people with herpes are able to live with the virusand manage their outbreaks. Talking to trusted healthcare providers and friends can help. Your health careprovider can talk to you about medicines that treatoutbreaks and about ways to reduce the chance ofpassing the virus on to a sexual partner.

Medicines can help lower the chance that you will pass the virus to others.

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What Is The Prognosis For Oral Herpes Can They Be Cured

Currently, there is no cure or vaccine for herpes simplex virus. Avoiding risk factors, such as sunburn and stress, can help prevent additional outbreaks. Cold sores will usually heal within 2 weeks without treatment. However, there are established cold sore treatments available to help decrease healing time, reduce pain, and in specific cases, suppress the recurrence of the virus.

Cold sores, if they recur, are most likely to do so during the first year after infection. They usually resolve on their own within 1-2 weeks. After the initial outbreak, cold sores may never appear again, or appear only when something triggers them. Usually people with cold sores lead normal lives and are not terribly affected by them unless they happen to recur very often .

What Happens If You Dont Get Herpes Treatment

The good news about herpes is that its not deadly or even very dangerous. It might be annoying, but herpes doesnt get worse over time or cause serious health problems like other STDs can.

If you dont get treated for herpes, you might keep having regular outbreaks, or they could only happen rarely. Some people naturally stop getting outbreaks after a while.

There are a few reasons people may decide not to get treatment. They might not have that many outbreaks, or their outbreaks dont really bother them. Or maybe theyre not having sex, so theyre not that worried about having herpes right now. Whatever your situation is, getting treatment for herpes is your choice.

Having herpes can make it easier to get HIV, because the sores give HIV an open pathway into your body. So always use condoms to help prevent the spread of both herpes and HIV.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Genital Herpes

Most women with genital herpes do not know they have it. But, if you get symptoms with the first outbreak of genital herpes, they can be severe. Genital herpes also can be severe and long-lasting in people whose immune systems do not work properly, such as women with HIV.

The first signs of genital herpes usually show up two to 12 days after having sexual contact with someone who has herpes. Symptoms can last from two to four weeks. There are other early symptoms of genital herpes:

• Feeling of pressure in the abdomen
• Flu-like symptoms, including fever

If you have any symptoms of genital herpes, see a doctor or nurse.

How Does Genital Herpes Affect Pregnancy

Herpes simplex virus doesnt affect fertility or your ability to conceive. Pregnant women diagnosed with HSV-2 should start a daily antiviral at 36 weeks of pregnancy as prescribed, to prevent outbreaks during delivery. If you have an active infection at the time of childbirth, you can pass the herpes virus to your baby. Neonatal herpes puts a baby at risk for blindness, brain damage, skin infections and death. Your healthcare provider will perform a cesarean section to lower this risk.

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How To Treat Genital Herpes

There is no cure for genital herpes. It lays dormant in the body for long periods, then reappears as an outbreak of sores.

However, doctors can prescribe medications that reduce the likelihood of recurring outbreaks. These medicines may also lower the risk of transmitting the virus.

When a person has a genital herpes outbreak, they may be able to promote healing and lower the risk of transmitting the virus by:

• avoiding sexual contact with another person until the sores have healed
• keeping the sores clean and dry
• refraining from touching the sores whenever possible
• washing the hands immediately after touching the sores
• using barrier protection during sexual contact until told otherwise by a doctor

The first herpes outbreak is usually the worst subsequent outbreaks tend to become less bothersome.

Genital herpes does not typically cause serious health complications. However, it can make a person more vulnerable to contracting HIV.

If a person has genital herpes sores, viruses and bacteria, including HIV, have more opportunity to enter the body. Avoid scratching the sores, as this can lead to bacterial infection.

Also, having HIV can make genital herpes outbreaks more severe.

How Do You Get Herpes

The virus can be passed on by:

• having any skin-to-skin contact with the infected area

• vaginal, or oral sex without a condom or dental dam

• transferring the infection on fingers from someone else to your genitals

• sharing sex toys that aren’t washed or covered with a new condom each time they are used.

The virus is most infectious when you have blisters, but it can be passed on when someone has no symptoms. This is normally immediately before or after an outbreak.

If you have genital herpes while pregnant you can pass the virus on to your unborn baby. Itâs important to speak to your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

For more details on herpes in pregnancy read our âin detailâ tab.

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Avoiding Passing Genital Herpes To A Partner

If you have herpes, you can follow some simple measures to avoid passing the virus on to your partner, and to continue to have a healthy and happy sex life. These include:

• telling your partner if you have herpes
• learning to recognise the warning signs that an episode is starting
• not have sex during an episode of herpes
• avoiding direct contact with your sores or blisters and another person
• avoiding kissing and oral sex when you or your partner has cold sores around the mouth

If you have frequent episodes of herpes then it is worth talking to your GP or sexual health clinic about longer term treatment which may also reduce the chance of you passing on the virus to your partner.

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What Should I Do If I Have Genital Herpes

If you have genital herpes:

• See a doctor or nurse as soon as possible for testing and treatment.
• Take all of the medicine. Even if symptoms go away, you need to finish all of the antiviral medicine.
• Tell your sex partner so they can be tested and treated if necessary.
• Avoid any sexual contact while you are being treated for genital herpes or while you have an outbreak.
• Remember that genital herpes is a lifelong disease. Even though you may not have a genital herpes outbreak for long periods of time, you can still pass the virus to another person at any time. Talk with your doctor or nurse about how to prevent passing the virus to another person.

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Side Effects And Follow

Side effects with these herpes drugs are considered mild, and health experts believe these drugs are safe in the long term. Acyclovir is the oldest of the three, and its safety has been documented in people taking suppressive therapy for several years.

People taking suppressive therapy should see their doctor at least once a year to decide if they should continue. You may find taking the pills every day to be inconvenient, the drugs may not work for you, or you may naturally have fewer outbreaks as time goes on. Your doctor can help you make treatment choices to suit your needs.

Can Genital Herpes Be Treated

Your physician can prescribe different medications to help reduce your symptoms and speed up the healing of an outbreak. These medicines work best when you start them soon after an outbreak occurs.

To reduce pain during an outbreak:

• Sit in warm water in a portable bath or bathtub for about 20 minutes. Avoid bubble baths.
• Keep your genital area clean and dry, and avoid tight clothes.
• Take over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Avoid aspirin.

Let your physician know if you are worried about your genital herpes. He or she can recommend a support group to help you cope with the virus.

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Is It Safe To Breastfeed If I Have Genital Herpes

Yes- as long as there is no open lesion on chest or breast . If you have an active outbreak while breastfeeding, its possible to spread the infection to your nipples through touch. Careful hand-washing can prevent this spread. You shouldnt nurse from a breast that has herpes sores. You can pump breast milk until the sores heal. Dont give your baby expressed breast milk if the pump comes into contact with an open sore.

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Herpes Myths To Stop Freaking Out About

A surprising number of people you know probably have herpes.

Shocked? You shouldnt be, since the virus is very common. According to the World Health Organization, 3.7 billion people under age 50 have herpes simplex virus type 1 thats 67 percent of the global population in that age bracket. Another 417 million people between ages 15 and 49 worldwide have herpes simplex virus type 2 .

Many people consider HSV-1 more benign, but it turns out theres not much difference between the two types of virus. While its true that HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted disease and can cause genital sores or blisters, type 1 can do the same thing.

One big misconception is that cold sores are caused by HSV-1 and genital herpes are always type 2, but thats not always the case, says Sarah Vensel, a physician assistant in San Francisco. Cold sores are so common theyve been normalized at this point. But genital herpes is sometimes the exact same virus just in a different location.

Not only is herpes incredibly common its also totally manageable. Allow us to set your mind at ease and debunk three widespread herpes myths:

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When Is Preventive Treatment Considered

Some people have outbreaks of genital herpes very often or experience especially severe symptoms. Then it may be a good idea to take antiviral medication for a longer time including during symptom-free phases. The goal is to prevent further outbreaks and to keep the symptoms from becoming so severe. Also, the antiviral medication reduces the likelihood of infecting others. As preventive treatment, the WHO recommends the following:

• aciclovir: 400 mg two times per day,
• famciclovir: 250 mg two times per day or
• valaciclovir: 500 mg once per day.

Research shows that preventive treatment can considerably lower the risk of further outbreaks. The people participating had four or more herpes outbreaks per year before the start of the studies, and then took an antiviral medication or a fake treatment for up to one year. A comprehensive analysis of the study results shows that

• 96 out of 100 people who took a placebo had at least one further outbreak of genital herpes.
• 46 out of 100 people who were given antiviral medication had at least one further outbreak of genital herpes.

In other words, the medication prevented further outbreaks in 50 out of 100 people within one year.

People with very frequent herpes outbreaks also benefited from preventive treatment: In one study involving people with very frequent outbreaks, the medication lowered the number of episodes in one year from 11 to 2.

Treatment For Genital Herpes

There are three antiviral medications that are FDA-approved for the treatment of genital herpes:

• Acyclovir: The oldest antiviral medication for herpes is acyclovir. It has been available since 1982 in a topical form and sold since 1985 in pill form. Acyclovir has been shown to be safe in persons who have used it continuously for as long as 10 years.
• Valacyclovir: A newer drug, valacyclovir, actually uses acyclovir as its active ingredient. This medication delivers acyclovir more efficiently so that the body absorbs much of the drug, which has the advantage of taking the medication fewer times during the day.
• Famciclovir: Famciclovir uses penciclovir as its active ingredient to stop HSV from replicating. Like valacyclovir, it is well absorbed, persists for a longer time in the body, and can be taken less frequently than acyclovir.

Antiviral medication is commonly prescribed for patients having a first episode of genital herpes, but they can be used for recurrent episodes as well. There are two kinds of treatment regimens: episodic therapy and suppressive therapy.

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