It all starts with a slight irritation in the skin and then just 1 or 2 blisters begin to appear. These blisters are essentially fluid filled and often break to ooze the water inside. The blisters do not last too long, but the herpes disease tends to return more than once causing inconvenience.

If you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you may be suffering from, a genital herpes infection you will be anxious to find out what forms of treatment are available to you. Even though you will be very disappointed to read that there is no cure for the virus, there are definite Herpes medications to manage the outbreaks and relieve the symptoms.

Although genital herpes will eventually clear up without treatment, it is much better to start taking a medication which can be used to help reduce both the symptoms and the duration of the infection.

What is Herpes?

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus and you will be interested to know that the very common “cold sores” are also part of the same family of the herpes simplex virus.

Herpes Treatments?

Several decades ago, treatment options for herpes included the direct application of deoxyglucose or the actual removal of infected areas by surgery. It was soon found that the former option was ineffective while the latter course often resulted in the spread of the herpes along the scar which was left after the surgery.

This is not surprising considering how infectious the herpes virus is. Herpes is a virus that infects the nervous system and the infection is permanent. Most people suffering from herpes can expect a recurrence about four times per year. One of the big problems is that infected people can keep on re-infecting themselves either on the skin area itself or from nerve cell to nerve cell and this is why it is so important to take medication to treat the symptoms of the herpes.

About fifteen years ago anti-viral medications for oral use first came on the market and studies indicated that these were safe and effective. Since then it has been found that this medication if taken on a daily basis can reduce recurrence frequency from approximately four times per annum to about once a year. Also when the recurrence does occur, the symptoms are milder and of shorter duration.

Modern Treatments that Work!

In the last few years, a number of non-prescription medications made from essential oils and other natural products have become available. These too have all been shown to have anti-viral properties against herpes simplex. If they are taken in a combined format where one product treats the outbreak of the herpes while the other provides a daily maintenance preventative program, the results have been very successful.

Obviously there is ongoing research into new and improved herpes medication and it is important to keep abreast of what these developments may be. Current research is looking for ways to develop a herpes vaccine and this would certainly be a very welcome breakthrough.

The herpes virus or the herpes simplex virus is also referred to as a Cold Sore, Night Fever or Fever Blister. It is a virus that comes in two common viral infections. It shows up as a painful watery type blister that is in the skin or one the mucous membranes; these include the mouth lips and the genitals. The herpes simplex virus is highly contagious during the outbreak and seven to ten days after the blister appears to be healed.

Symptoms

The first outbreak is always worse than the ones that come after it. Initially it involves flu-like symptoms with swollen glands fro approximately two weeks. You will also see the skin appear red and irritated, and then you will see fluid-filled blisters appear in the skin.

If you have a case of genital herpes the lesions will appear close to the genitals and can looks almost like a paper cut. Genital herpes symptoms include aches and pains in the area. You may also see a discharge from the penis or vaginal area, and have problems when urinating.

Outbreaks

After the first outbreak, most individuals experience periodic outbreaks approximately four to five times a year. They are many things that can cause an outbreak which include stress, exposure to the sun, fatigue, and a viral infection. Some have reported outbreaks after eating foods that are high in arginime such chocolate and different types of nuts.

Contact

Herpes virus is contracted through direct skin contact. The virus will travel through the skin and go into areas that have breaks in the skin or moist areas of the skin. However, your symptoms may not appear until a month or more of being infected with the virus. The transmission of the virus is most common to occur during a active outbreak, but some can contract it while the virus is in the healing process. More women are susceptible to acquire this virus than men.

Prevention

In order to prevent the spread of the herpes virus, it is recommended that condoms be used during intercourse. This is not a complete prevention process, but it can help. Other preventions include using lip balm, managing your triggers of the virus. Avoid infecting other areas of the body, by limiting direct skin contact. There is always a fear of passing it on to someone that is why it is important to recognize the symptoms early on, and prevent it from being passed on to someone else.

Treatments

They are a few treatments on the market today that can help. These include antiviral medications for controlling the outbreaks. These drugs work by preventing the virus from replicating itself. These are just treatments for the virus, and not a cure. Analgesics are used to help reduce the pain and fever that can occur during the outbreaks.

The long term effects of the herpes virus are not well known. The blisters may leave scars and can in some instances lead to cervical cancer in women. At this time there is no cure for the virus, and it does destroy an individual’s immune system.

It is important for an individual to seek treatment from their doctors if they are experiencing an outbreak. When a person discovers that they have the virus, many times it can have an effect on their psychological behavior. They feel that they are outcasts in society, and it can lead to depression. It is important for individual to realize that this is an illness that you can live a long time with, you just have to be able to identify the triggers, and be prepared for when an outbreak occurs.