Living With Genital Herpes: What You Should Know
Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009
by Matt Claybourne
Evolve You
Living with genital herpes can be difficult both physically and emotionally, and can also have a serious impact on intimate relationships. While a cure for herpes has not been found, there are many methods to control herpes by preventing outbreaks and treating symptoms when outbreaks do occur. These prevention and treatment methods take a variety of approaches, including lifestyle modification, herbal remedies, and prescription medications.
What Causes Genital Herpes Outbreaks
As you probably already know, most cases of genital herpes result from the HSV II virus. Not everyone with the virus will display symptoms, and the virus often remains dormant for months or years. Outbreaks occur whenever the body's defenses are down. This means outbreaks are far more common in people who are fatigued, stressed, don't get enough sleep, eat a poor diet, are ill, or have a weakened immune system due to illness or other causes.
Preventing Outbreaks
Given that outbreaks occur because of stress, the most important prevention step is to eliminate sources of stress. Keeping your stress level controlled by learning how to effectively handle stress and by reinforcing your body's coping abilities is key.
Proper diet which includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is very important. Supplements like zinc, lysine, and vitamin C may also lend a helping hand in preventing outbreaks. These are known to boost immune function.
While oral herpes is caused by a different strain of the herpes virus, it is known that exposure to UV rays can bring on an outbreak of cold sores. Therefore it makes sense to use a good sunscreen to avoid absorbing UV rays. Tanning beds should also be avoided by those who have genital herpes.
Prescription Medications
A doctor can prescribe anti-viral medicines for those living with genital herpes. These medications can reduce the risk of transmitting to virus to a partner, help prevent recurrence of outbreaks, and shorten the duration of a current outbreak. The most commonly prescribed medications are Acyclovir, Famvir, and Valtrex. There are other medications available in case a patient has a resistant strain of the virus, though viral resistance to Acyclovir is rare.
Genital Herpes Relief
When you experience outbreaks, there are some things you can do to get genital herpes relief. These include keeping the area clean and dry - common sense dictates that you should take a daily shower; then pat the area dry. Wear clothing that will allow your skin to breathe - loose fitting cotton is a good choice.
Natural remedies for genital herpes relief include applying cool, organic silica gel. The gel can be stored in the refrigerator to provide even better relief. Tannic acid, found in regular black tea, can also soothe genital herpes lesions and may also have anti-viral properties to speed healing. Sage, violet, tea tree oil, and lemon balm also have soothing and anti-viral properties.
Genital Herpes and Intimate Relationships
If one partner has genital herpes and the other does not, it is important to take steps to prevent transmitting the virus. It should be obvious that no sexual activity should take place when open sores are present. The virus sheds from the sores and is easily transmitted between partners.
You may not know that the virus can be transmitted even if no symptoms are present. The degree to which the virus is shed in asymptomatic people may vary. Taking anti-viral medication can significantly decrease the risk of transmission, as can the use of latex condoms and dental dams. For couples in long term relationships, it's best to talk to a doctor about long term transmission prevention approaches, and to measure the risk against perceived loss of intimacy through barrier methods.
Living with genital herpes is challenging, and even though a cure for herpes is not likely in the near future, it can be managed with good self care and prevention strategies. Decrease stress and minimize future outbreaks by using these self care strategies.
To find out workable alternatives to a cure for herpes visit acureforherpes.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)While articles like this need to be written, I must admit, in the back of my mind I was thinking "gross" while reading this. I have one big question I thought of because of this article: If a man and a woman are in a relationship, long term, and one has genital herpes, the other doesn't, what usually happens? Do the barriers get too annoying and the partner with no genital herpes takes the risk? Are there more options?Hi Gregory,
I do not see it as gross, more as a part of life, in that there are many diseases and viruses that afflict many people across the planet. In my opinion the main thing is no one person should feel any shame or embarrassment .
I do not know what any individual would or would not do when faced with a partner having genital herpes however it is my view that the human race over comes many things and at the end of the day if two people care for each other enough I am sure that genital herpes would not stand in there way.
I am not saying I am right Gregory, its just a pint of viewI'm not saying I am right or wrong, and I'm not saying your right or wrong. But do you think if there is a couple and one partner has genital herpes it's basically certain that the other partner, over time, will also get genital herpes. I'm talking about couples who date for a long time than marry so these are long term relationships here. If the love is strong enough your saying the partner that doesn't have herpes shouldn't care if they get it.I'm not saying your right or wrong in the above example, I'm just curious.Also, yes I was thinking gross but in the back of my mind; in that part of my mind where I'm immature I think everybody has atleast a small part of their mind that is immature and I'll be "manly" enough to admit that I do. (Genital herpes though, I do NOT have, thank the Lord)Hi Gregory,
All I can say is that I believe in people, the diseases we get are not a punishment for any action, though the consequences of those actions are for us to deal with.Then we as individuals have to deal with them best we can, without judgement or shame, because at the end of the day we are all human, and I personally admire and respect that.
kindly
MattOh no, don't get me wrong. I'm agnostic. I'm a guy and the thought of bumps down there gives me the willlies you know.
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