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The main purpose of this herpes website is:

1. To help you find the best herpes treatment.
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3. To help you live with herpes.

There is no medical cure and vaccine for herpes. Some natural products, remedies and some drugs have been effective in reducing the frequency and duration of herpes outbreaks. Researchers are currently working on herpes vaccines and it is estimated that vaccine will be available in several years. Herpes vaccine variations from 2002 were not sucessfull as there was absolutely no effect on men.

Herpes general definition

The Herpes Simplex virus causes an infection commonly referred to as Herpes or HSV. Oral herpes causes blisters in around the mouth, lips and nose area whereas Genital herpes affects specifically the genital areas as well as the buttocks or anal region. Genital herpes is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Causes of Herpes Simplex

The Herpes simplex virus can be divided into type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-1 specifically affects the mouth and lip areas and can even spread from the mouth area to the genital area during oral sex. While on the other hand HSV-2 causes genital herpes. HSV-2 is spread via any secretion from the mouth or genital areas.

The virus is mainly transmitted by direct contact with the infected area usually having visible sores, blisters or rash, as well as from an infected person's skin including mouth, vagina and penis without any visible sores being present. The virus can spread without any signs, symptoms or sores present, thus a person who has been infected with herpes in the past but who has had no active outbreaks can still infect other individuals unknowingly.

As with the majority of sexually transmitted diseases, women are more susceptible to get HSV-2 when compared to men. Year on year, the transmission risk of HSV-2 from infected male to female is approximately 10 percent. This is because of the increased exposure of infected mucosal tissue to potential infection areas. The risk of infection from female to male contact is an estimated 5percent year on year. The use of Antiviral drugs will reduce mentioned risks by as much as 50 percent while preventing the development of symptomatic HSV by approximately 50 percent. The importance of condom usage cannot be emphasized enough as it reduces the transmission risk by 50 percent. Condom usage is more effective at preventing male to female transmission than female to male transmission. The combination of antiviral drug and condom use reduces the annual transmission risk by an unbelievable 75 percent.

Signs and Symptoms of the infection

Most individuals infected with specifically the HSV-2 strain never have sores or very mild signs or symptoms. The first outbreaks signs and symptoms are usually severe and occur within just two weeks of actual infection.

Signs and symptoms of the infection include but are definitely not limited to: loss of appetite, fever, general unwell feeling, muscular aches and pains, small, painful bumps filled with clear fluid and enlarged, tender lymph nodes.

Mentioned fluid-filled bumps are usually located on the penis, scrotum, labia, vagina, cervix, anus, thighs, buttocks, tongue, mouth, eyes, gums, lips, fingers, and other areas of the body. Just before the bumps make their awful appearance, the person may feel a tingling, burning, itching, or painful sensation in, on or around the affected area. The blisters will eventually rupture and leave shallow, painful ulcers that crust over and heal over a period of 7 to 14 days.

A second outbreak can occur weeks or even months after the first, but good news is that it will be less serious and shorter than the initial outbreak. The frequency of outbreaks should decrease with time.

Once an individual is infected with the virus, it will hide in cells and make the body its permanent residence, lying dormant for long periods of time. A recurrence can occur without any warning, at any given time. Fatigue, irritation, stress and trauma can trigger a latent infection to become an active outbreak in an instant.

Prevention

The chances of contracting HSV-2 increases significantly with the number of sexual partners a person has, thus the first step to preventing the disease it to limit the number of partners a person has. Intimate contact should be avoided as far as practically possible when sores are present. Sex should be avoided in its entirety before and after the sores have developed.

To minimize the risk of spreading herpes, condoms specifically latex should be used during sex including oral sex. Spermicide in whatever shape or form will not offer protection although the research on this is rather controversial.

If you touch the sores, remember to wash your hands immediately with soap and water. Steer clear from sharing towels or clothing with anyone.

Babies are easily infected with the virus. If you are pregnant or suspect that you might be, remember to tell your physician if you have ever been exposed to the disease or if you have had any symptoms or signs of herpes. Your doctor will take the necessary precautions to prevent and protect the baby from getting herpes during delivery.

Treatment options

Unfortunately, there is no cure whatsoever for herpes. It can however be treated successfully and rather easily by a Medical Professional. Antiviral drugs in the form of topical, prescription and non-prescription meds can relieve pain and discomfort during outbreaks by healing sores faster. These drugs appear to help during first attacks more than they do in later outbreaks. Drugs commonly used to treat the virus include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir while topical application dynamiclear is the most successful. Check herpes review for more information.

Treatment should be initiated as soon as the tingling, burning, or itching sensation begins, or when the first blisters appear. The longer you wait to treat the infection, the worse it will get.

Its recommended that individuals who suffer from frequent outbreaks, take mentioned drugs on a daily basis over a period of time as prescribed by a physician. This will help prevent outbreaks as well as shorten outbreak durations. It will also significantly reduce the risk of infecting others with the disease.

Pregnant women should preferably be treated for the disease during the last month of pregnancy to reduce the risk of having an outbreak at the actual time of delivery. Should an outbreak however occur around the time of delivery, a Caesarian will be best to reduce the risk of infecting the child.

Dietary changes, dietary supplementation and alternative remedies can also be used to treat herpes, either on its own or in conjunction with prescribed antiviral meds.

People with herpes infections must learn to control higher level stresses. It is recommended that if recurrences do take place, the patient should look carefully at the stresses in life to determine if changes need to be made. Many combinations of partners with and without herpes exist. Sometimes one partner has frequent oral outbreaks only. Perhaps one partner has frequent genital outbreaks. Sometimes both partners have genital herpes while in other cases one partner may have type 1 herpes in the genital area and the other partner type 2 herpes in the genital area.

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