Where Can I Get Medication For Herpes

Is There A Way To Prevent Getting Herpes

You can protect yourself and your partner by taking steps to prevent an outbreak of herpes. Some things that you can do include:

-If you already have herpes, dont have sex until the outbreak is completely gone, even with a condom.

-Try to learn the signs of an impending outbreak, such as itching, tingling and burning, and stop having sex as soon as you notice.

-If you wear contact lenses, dont wet your lenses with your saliva. This could spread your herpes infection to your eyes.

-Dont have sex with your partner until your herpes sores are completely healed.

-Always tell your partner if you are infected with the herpes virus before you have sex. Even though it can be embarrassing and difficult, herpes is very common, and telling your partner will help keep the infection from spreading.

How Can I Prevent Genital Herpes

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting genital herpes:

• Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have herpes.
• Using condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Be aware that not all herpes sores occur in areas that a condom can cover. Also, the skin can release the virus from areas that do not have a visible herpes sore. For these reasons, condoms may not fully protect you from getting herpes.

If your sex partner has/have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting it if:

• Your partner takes an anti-herpes medicine every day. This is something your partner should discuss with his or her healthcare provider.

Should I Take Antiviral Pills For My Herpes

Reasons for choosing short course/episodic treatment:

Reasons for choosing suppression/prophylactic/long-term treatment:

See section above for the dosing.

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What Is Suppressive Treatment For Genital Herpes

Suppressive treatment involves taking medication on a daily basis to reduce the chance of a genital herpes outbreak.

Taking antiviral medicines on a daily basis also reduces the amount of virus that is shed, both when sores are present and in between outbreaks, when the skin looks normal.

Suppressive treatment does not guarantee that you will not get a herpes outbreak, but should reduce the severity and frequency of herpes outbreaks.

Over time, your immune system tends to exert better control over the herpes virus, so your doctor may suggest stopping treatment every 6 months to see whether you have any further outbreaks. Treatment can be re-started if you do have a recurrence.

When To Get Tested

Consult a doctor about any of the following symptoms:

• tingling or itching around the genitals
• pain when peeing
• unusual vaginal discharge

The World Health Organization describes the risk of the herpes virus passing to a newborn during childbirth. Although this is rare, people who are pregnant and have herpes should let their doctors know.

Using a condom or another barrier method of protection during sex reduces the risk of the virus transmitting. It is also a good idea to avoid sharing sex toys with someone who has herpes.

Several online companies offer STI testing kits, including:

• EverlyWell: This company sells tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and HIV.
• LetsGetChecked: This company sells tests for several common STIs, and it provides prescriptions at no extra cost if a test result is positive.
• PriortitySTD: This company returns results within 3 days.

Anyone with a positive test result should contact a healthcare professional.

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How To Prevent Spreading Herpes To Your Partner

If you have genital herpes and your partner doesnt, you can spread the virus that causes it to your partner during sex. For this reason, dermatologists recommend the following:

Tell your partner you have genital herpes

Explain that there is a risk that you can give your partner the virus that causes genital herpes. Be sure your partner knows that the following can reduce this risk:

• Skipping sex when you have sores. To avoid giving your partner genital herpes, its recommended that you skip all sexual contact while you have sores and for one or two days after the sores clear. If your partners skin or genitals touches a herpes sore, your partner can easily catch the virus.

• Using a condom when youre free of sores. Even when you dont have sores, its possible to spread the virus to your partner. When the virus isnt active, it travels from your skin to nearby nerve cells.A trigger can wake up this virus at any time. Common triggers include stress, illness, and surgery. If the virus wakes up, it travels back to your skin .Sometimes, when the virus wakes up, you wont have any sores or symptoms. During these times, you wont even know that the virus is on your skin . Its during these times that you can spread it to your partner. Condoms help reduce this risk.

Even when taking an antiviral every day, a condom must be used every time you have sex.

How Is Genital Herpes Spread

• Saliva from a partner with an oral herpes infection
• Genital fluids from a partner with a genital herpes infection
• Skin in the oral area of a partner with oral herpes or
• Skin in the genital area of a partner with genital herpes.

You also can get genital herpes from a sex partner who does not have a visible sore or is unaware of their infection. It is also possible to get genital herpes if you receive oral sex from a partner with oral herpes.

You will not get herpes from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools. You also will not get it from touching objects, such as silverware, soap, or towels.

If you have more questions about herpes, consider discussing your concerns with a healthcare provider.

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When To Talk With A Doctor

Herpes isnt curable, but it can be treated with antiviral medications. These medications can reduce the severity of an outbreak.

If you suspect you have herpes, make an appointment with a doctor. Its also a good idea to talk with your doctor about a herpes screening if:

• your current or previous sexual partner has herpes
• youre planning to have sex with a new partner
• you had a risky sexual encounter

If youve already been diagnosed with herpes and youre currently experiencing an outbreak, the outbreak might go away without causing complications and without treatment.

However, its wise to make an appointment with your doctor if:

• the outbreak is particularly painful or unbearable
• youre experiencing symptoms of other STIs
• youre experiencing frequent, severe outbreaks

If youre sexually active, its a good idea to have regular STI screenings. You can book appointments for STI screenings with your doctors office. You could also try a local clinic, certain pharmacies, or Planned Parenthood.

Order Antiviral Treatments For Herpes

If you have genital herpes, you can get an online prescription for antiviral herpes medication discreetly and easily. Our doctor’s prescribe aciclovir, valaciclovir or famciclovir via our online service.

Order for a herpes outbreak: if you have a flare-up of symptoms, you can get a short course of medication to help control the outbreak.

Order to prevent outbreaks: if you get outbreaks more than 6 times a year or find your symptoms are hard to deal with, you can have suppressive treatment. This is where you take a low dose of antiviral medication every day to help prevent outbreaks.

Order a herpes test: if you need to check if youre a carrier of herpes, you can order a herpes test online now.

Click & Collect: free Next Day Delivery: £3.99Dispensing and standard delivery included.

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Is It Possible To Prevent Cold Sores

The best way to prevent a herpes simplex infection is to avoid physical contact with someone elses cold sores. Items that touch the lips but cannot be washed or sanitized, such as lipstick or lip balm, should not be shared. During an outbreak, frequent hand washing and sanitizing with 60% ethanol-based hand sanitizer will help reduce the spread of the virus to other parts of the body or to other people. Wash hands immediately after applying topical treatments to a cold sore. L-lysine and other supplements have not been shown to consistently reduce outbreaks.

To prevent future outbreaks,

• avoid long periods of time in the sun and use sunblock on lips and face,
• reduce stress by getting adequate rest and relaxation,
• avoid trauma to the mouth or involved area, and
• take any antiviral medication exactly as prescribed.

How Can I Prevent Herpes Outbreaks

If you have lots of herpes outbreaks, your doctor may tell you to take medicine every day this is called suppressive therapy. It can help prevent future herpes outbreaks, and lower your chances of giving herpes to your partners.

Whether or not you take medicine to treat herpes, taking care of yourself by eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and avoiding stress might help keep future outbreaks from popping up.

No one knows for sure what triggers genital herpes outbreaks. Other infections, surgery, sex, your period, skin irritations, and stress may cause outbreaks. Sunburns, injuries to your lips, or other infections can cause oral herpes flare-ups. Try to avoid getting sunburned if you have oral herpes.

Genital herpes outbreaks usually happen less often and become shorter and weaker after a few years whether or not you get treated.

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Herpes Symptoms And Signs

In order to diagnose herpes, a health care provider can swab an area of visibly active herpes infection or, if symptoms arent active, a blood test can be given that measures the number of herpes antibodies present in the body. The antibodies dont indicate herpes itself, but rather show the immune systems response to the presence of the virus in the body. Its important to note that sometimes a swab can give false negative results since herpes lesions need to be large enough to yield enough detectable virus and if the outbreak is already healing it also may not be detected in a swab.

The most common herpes symptoms include:

• Developing either a single cold sore or cluster of multiple cold sores that form on the lips, inside the mouth, or on the genitals, buttocks and upper thighs.
• Sores can sometimes be severe, painful and rupture and cause fluid to be secreted out.
• Some herpes canker sores develop a thin, white coating and burn when touched while they healing.
• Around herpes cold sores, its common to feel pain, tenderness and other symptoms of a rash, such as redness or signs of swelling.
• Some people are able to tell before an outbreak if one is going to occur because they feel tingling, itchy sensations near the affected area.
• Some people develop other symptoms during herpes outbreaks that are similar to those caused by a cold or the flu. This may include fatigue, irritability, aches or a slight fever.

What Are The Long

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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 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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Home Remedies And Lifestyle

At-home treatments for a cold sore or genital herpes can relieve symptoms. However, it can not cure the infection. To ease the pain and prevent sores from getting worse, try the following:

• Apply cold compresses. Place a well-insulated ice pack on your lesions for as long as it makes you feel better. The cold will not worsen or improve the lesion, but it can lessen the pain.
• Dont scratch. Avoid touching and rubbing lesions caused by herpes. Doing so can spread the infection to other areas of your skin.
• Keep the sores clean. Cold sores and genital herpes infections can become infected with bacteria from your hands or, in the latter case, from urine or feces. Therefore, keep the sores and blisters and the areas around them clean and dry to avoid an additional infection.
• Reduce stress. Stress can affect how well your immune system can keep your herpes infection in check. Therefore, reducing your stress may help prevent excessive herpes recurrences.

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How Do You Treat Herpes

Theres no cure for herpes, but prescription medications can ease symptoms, end outbreaks sooner, and lower the chances of passing the virus to other people.

You can also help ease the pain caused by herpes outbreaks by taking a warm bath, wearing loose clothing and putting an ice pack on the sores.

What Should I Expect

• Our online assessment will help determine if you are a good candidate for treatment
• With the right prescription, your rash should improve faster
• Most will improve within a few days of starting therapy
• Recurrences may occur from time to time
• You can be treated any time you have a flare-up
• First time outbreaks should be confirmed by an in-person examination before treatment
• Just answer a few questions to get started with your online visit

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Why You Should Go To A Sexual Health Clinic

You can see a GP, but theyll probably refer you to a sexual health clinic if they think you might have genital herpes.

Sexual health clinics treat problems with the genitals and urine system.

Many sexual health clinics offer a walk-in service, where you do not need an appointment.

Theyll often get test results quicker than GP practices and you do not have to pay a prescription fee for treatment.

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How Does Herpes Simplex Spread

Herpes spreads through close contact with a person who has the infection. The virus can be found in skin and saliva. If you have herpes simplex, you are most likely to pass the virus to another person when you have sores. But you can infect someone else even if you have no symptoms. Healthcare providers call this asymptomatic viral shedding.

People may get HSV-1 through

• Touching a persons skin near the mouth.
• Sharing food utensils, lip balm or razors.
• If you receive oral sex from someone who has a cold sore, it may spread a herpes infection to your genitals.

People may get HSV-2 through

• Oral sex with someone whos infected.
• Skin-to-skin contact without ejaculation.
• Touching open sores, including while breastfeeding.
• Childbirth by a mother or gestational parent who has an active infection.

You cant get genital herpes from objects like toilet seats. But you could pass genital herpes through shared sex toys.

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