Friday, May 7, 2010

Genital Herpes Symptoms and Treatment

By Beverly OMalley

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world today. It is caused by the herpes simplex virus.  This is the same family of viruses that causes cold sores, shingles, and chicken pox. 

Genital herpes is caused by infection with the herpes simplex2 virus (HSV2). HSV1 is the virus that causes cold sores on the lips and nose area. The herpes virus, however, is not too particular about the mucous membrane it calls home and will happily live in either the mucous membranes of the mouth and lip area or the reproductive tract.  Because of this, oral genital contact can spread either HSV1, HSV2. Viral transmission can occur from the mouth to the genitals or from the genitals to the mouth. The blister type lesions caused by either virus are virtually identical.

Genital Herpes Symptoms

Sometimes after the initial infection there may be fever and general malaise as could be seen with any acute viral infection but this is not always apparent in all cases.  In fact the symptoms of a genital herpes infection may not be known to you until you see some blisters on or around your genital area. 

This is called an outbreak and is characteristic of the way the herpes virus acts in the body. There will be periods when the virus is dormant and none of the characteristic symptoms of genital herpes are present.  Then there will be these outbreak periods where blisters appear in the genital area and may even extend to the anal area. 

The blisters will act like any normal cold sore on the lips. They come up with an initial tingling, then grow larger and spread and eventually burst leaving an ulceration that will slowly heal on its own.

In men these blisters occur on or around the penis.  In women the blisters may actually be in the vagina as well as on the surrounding genital area. 

Symptoms of genital herpes will come and go but the virus stays with you forever. The number of outbreaks will gradually become less and less and in some cases, some people do not see outbreaks at all.   

Diagnosis

You may not know you have contracted genital herpes until the first breakout of the blisters. Symptoms of genital herpes are so mild in some people they think they just have a skin irritation.  The best thing to do is to be checked by a doctor so that you can get diagnosed properly. 

Doctors can usually make the diagnosis based on inspection of the genital area as the lesions are quite specific in appearance.  In some instances the doctor may take a swab on the blister fluid to see if it contains the virus.

Genital Herpes Treatment

There is no cure for genital herpes, however, it can be controlled so that you can live a normal sexually active life. Anti-viral medications are often prescribed at the first outbreak to knock back the infection and may be used for prolonged periods if outbreaks are frequent.

Other treatments for the discomfort of an outbreak are common sense measures such as wearing loose comfortable clothing, using cold compresses or soothing creams and ointments on the blisters.

A strong and healthy immune system is needed to keep the virus suppressed and to reduce the frequency of outbreaks. Health denying habits such as smoking, drug use, or toxic relationships
will drain the resources of your immune system so your best method of treatment is to maintain good health.  This would include eating whole nourishing foods, getting plenty of exercise, and managing stress. 

Complications

Generally the herpes simplex virus is not considered a dangerous infection to persons who have a fully functioning immune system. The virus will be suppressed and outbreaks will not be common as long as the immune system is functioning well.

However, if the immune system becomes burdened or compromised in any way then outbreaks will be more likely to occur.  This may happen during times of physical or emotional stress.  If the immune system is comprised by other more serious illnesses such as HIV or cancer then the herpes virus can become more dangerous.

If the virus is directly transmitted to other areas such as the eyes, or the brain, complications can be very serious. This direct transmission can happen in a number of ways but the most common is during the birth process.  The infant can become infected with the virus from contact with the mother's vagina during birth.

If you suspect you may have contracted a genital herpes infection see your doctor as soon as possible.  Never have sex during an outbreak and never have unprotected sex. This means using a condom  (either male or female type)  during every sexual encounter even during oral sex. 

Additionally you should always inform your partner of your herpes status.  This is always the right thing to do.

About the Author: Beverly Hansen OMalley is a health promotion specialist and the owner of
http://www.registered-nurse-canada.com where she explores the uniqueness of the nursing profession in Canada including comparison of the nursing entrance tests for the US and Canada
and how to get a nursing license.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

 

7 comments:

  1. Herpes is really a very common infection and strong immune system can suppress the recurrence.

    In my experience homeopathic medicines are really helpful to improve immune system.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Am so grateful to Dr Clifford for what he did for me , it is over two years when i contacted this deadly disease, . This disease "herpes" is seriously spreading all over the united state, i did my possible best for me to be cured, i spent all my money on medication, i contacted so many doctors both on Net and in the state, non could help me most especially the doctors i contacted on Net they failed me by stealing my money and nothing change i have used so many pills but nothing changed, not until a day, a friend of mine introduced me to this man who cured me with his powerful medicine. i am indeed grateful and thankful to you DR may God continue to empower you with your good work, and i asked him if there is a cure for HIV, and Diabetics types, he said yes and in case anyone is having such problem don't die in silent when there is help somewhere, you can contact him directly to his E-mail: drcliffordsolutioncenter62@gmail.com or Number:+2348105049840

      Delete
  2. My son once had the problem of HIV/AID which affected his Education for years,i gave him different medication but there was no solution,i search the net and i found the contact of a doctor,who help me with his product on curing HIV/AIDS, CANCER< HERPES, HEP B, DIABITIES, GERNITAL WARTS, HPV,UNABLE TO GET PREGNANT,EPILEPSY problem and other deadly diseases,he also assured me that it is a permanent cure,my son took the medication for just 2 weeks and he was back to normal. for two years now he has been doing fine.I give all thanks to Dr Uwenbo for helping me out of such problem now am the happiest person on earth for seeing my son doing better again.you can also contact him on dr.uwenboherbalhome@gmaill.com, druwenboherbalhome@outlook.com or you can also call or whatsapp on +2349052309005 and get the product.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Finding out I was Hepatitis B-Genital herpes wasn’t easy But as time has passed, I have slowly come to terms with my Hepatitis B-Genital herpes, status and try to tackle it with a positive attitude. In mid-2012 I became quite ill. I developed persistent flu-like symptoms, headaches, a nagging cough and sores that wouldn’t heal. My skin felt as if it was crawling, my legs ached, I felt nauseous and lost weight. Then exhaustion hit. It was an indescribable tiredness and no matter how much I slept I never felt rested. In 2013 I was hospitalized when my CD4 count nosedived to 86 (Hepatitis B, Herpes-negative people have a CD4 count of between 700 and 1,000; a CD4 count of below 200 is considered dangerously low). It was a terrible time. There are lot to say about Dr ALAMA but i can only mention few right now, this man is a very great, good and powerful Dr. of ALAMA, all thanks to him for given me a second chance, if you are out there passing through any problem, you can contact him today on his email via: (Dr.alamaspelltemple@gmail.com or whatsapp him now on +2349034433639), and i know that he will help you also.
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    ReplyDelete
  4. Finding out I was Hepatitis B-Genital herpes wasn’t easy But as time has passed, I have slowly come to terms with my Hepatitis B-Genital herpes, status and try to tackle it with a positive attitude. In mid-2012 I became quite ill. I developed persistent flu-like symptoms, headaches, a nagging cough and sores that wouldn’t heal. My skin felt as if it was crawling, my legs ached, I felt nauseous and lost weight. Then exhaustion hit. It was an indescribable tiredness and no matter how much I slept I never felt rested. In 2013 I was hospitalized when my CD4 count nosedived to 86 (Hepatitis B, Herpes-negative people have a CD4 count of between 700 and 1,000; a CD4 count of below 200 is considered dangerously low). It was a terrible time. There are lot to say about Dr ALAMA but i can only mention few right now, this man is a very great, good and powerful Dr. of ALAMA, all thanks to him for given me a second chance, if you are out there passing through any problem, you can contact him today on his email via: (Dr.alamaspelltemple@gmail.com or whatsapp him now on +2349034433639), and i know that he will help you also.
    Contact him for any kind of disease below like:
    1 Cancer
    2 Hiv Aids
    3 Hepatitis C
    4 Barrenness
    5 Herpes
    6 Hpv
    7 Gonorrheal
    8 STI (sexually transmitted infection)
    9 STD (sexually transmitted disease)
    10 Stroke.
    11.Lupes.
    12.Als.
    13.Hsv.
    HIS EMAIL {Dr.alamaspelltemple@gmail.com}or {Dr.alamahomeofsolution@yahoo.com} or {whatsapp him now on +2349034433639} or contact him on facebook page {https://web.facebook.com/DrAlama-1814096005282490/}

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is real take it serious, who will believe that a herb can cure
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    ReplyDelete

  6. I am currently living Herpes FREE. There’s so much talk about solutions & creams to assist those diagnosed with this disease. These remedies are band-aids rather than effective efforts to rid this condition out of one’s system. I’m ready to give my story to the world. I must let people know that freedom from herpes is possible! The key to eradicating this disease is faith, commitment, and determination. Staying disciplined to the process is an intricate, most essential part of the cure. Trust me, as a person who has done the process twice. I have proof of the positive diagnosis and documentation of the disease being rid (forever removed) from my body.you can get in touch if you suffering from herpes 1&2 ( drirabOrthehsvcurer@gmail.com ) or whatsapp or call via +2348140248509.dr irabor is a life saver

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