Living With Herpes

[getSTDtested Administrator]

Living with Herpes
herpesonline.org

Living with genital herpes is oftentimes made much more complicated than it has to be by stress, fatigue, anxiety, and carelessness. Our intent at here is to provide a very basic education on how someone with genital herpes can achieve control of the virus, avoid spreading herpes elsewhere on the body, how to prevent other family members from contracting herpes, and how to significantly decrease the risk of transmitting the infection to an uninfected intimate partner.

It does get better with time!

Historically, the natural course of the herpes virus seems to be one of getting better with time. This most likely occurs due to decreased stress in general as years go by. When placed in black and white, it would seem more understandable as to why this occurs. As people get older there is a greater satisfaction with life. You’re not placed under nearly as much stress as say a young parent with a new mortgage, a car payment, an unstable job and all the stress daily living brings with it. This marked decrease in stress seems to decrease the stimulation to whatever it is that may be enticing recurring outbreaks.

What Could be Triggering Recurring Outbreaks?

Recurring outbreaks are most often triggered by emotional stress. Stress tends to activate the autonomic nervous system, and perhaps increase your body’s production of adrenalin or other neurotransmitters that can play a key role in recurring outbreaks. It should also be considered that stress can and does affect the bodies natural immune system, such as T-cells or antibody levels. Many people living with herpes have reported outbreaks occurring most often when their immune system is challenged by cold, flu’s or other common sicknesses.

Based on the stories of those living with herpes and not the scientific evidence or lack thereof, it is almost certain that reducing the stress in your everyday life can have a dramatic and positive affect on the individual with genital herpes.

Other triggers will be mentioned below in the herpes diet section.

How does one go about living with herpes?

It is known that patients benefit from a "whole life" approach to managing genital herpes. This begins with understanding the virus and its complexity, what is known recurring outbreaks and finding what causes your own outbreaks and incorporating these factors into managing herpes.

Positive living with herpes begins with the person learning to closely watch and monitor symptoms and to treat them promptly. It may take a bit of experimenting to find a regimen that works for you, but it can be done. Studies have shown that as many as 80% to 90% of people that are infected with HSV do not have outbreaks or any “recognizable” symptoms for that matter. However, it has also been shown that 60% of these people without obvious outbreaks do have some symptoms; they are just not as clear-cut as most textbook symptoms.

Common sense should tell anyone living with herpes to shower at least daily, maybe twice daily when symptoms are present, and to wear clean clothing that is changed regularly, especially when symptoms are present.

Use a clean washcloth each time with warm soapy water. Once the washcloth has been used on the infected area, it should not be used on any other part of the body and should be placed in the laundry for washing with a hot water and detergent. So during the shower, it would be wise to wash the area of the outbreak last.

Once blisters are broken, they should be cleaned with soap and water. This will help kill some of the active viral fluid that may be seeping from the lesions and help promote healing.

Many who live with herpes have suggested keeping the area as dry as possible. Wear lose clothing that may allow air to reach the lesions. Some have also suggested using products such as cornstarch to increase dryness.

The herpes virus cannot live off the human body for more than a few seconds. So transmitting the virus via inanimate objects such as toilet seats or sharing a bed is not likely.

Prescription Medications

Studies have shown and those living with genital herpes have claimed that genital herpes is very well controlled in by using anti-viral medications. Three medications are available: Acyclovir, Valtrex and Famvir. Other prescription medications can be used in patients with viruses that are resistant to those drugs above, though viral resistance to acyclovir is exceedingly uncommon.

New evidence has shown that the use of Valtrex, and possibly other anti-virals such as acyclovir, not only dramatically diminish viral shedding and is likely to prevent, or decrease, transmission of herpes to partners.

People with genital HSV might want to consider suppressive therapy with antiviral medication if they are in intimate relationships, especially with partners who don’t have herpes.

Just Plain Tired!

When people get tired, their bodies have to work harder to keep going. Fatigue makes the nervous system work harder. In genital herpes, the herpes virus lives in a little part of the nervous system down at the bottom of the spinal cord called the "sacral ganglia". Since the virus is part of the nervous system, the activity of the cells containing the virus is increased. This is most likely the reasons that exhaustion can increase outbreaks.

For those who believe that fatigue is linked to recurring outbreaks, it’s suggested that proper sleep habits be established. There have been several studies that have proven that the vast majority of humans require about eight hours of restful, non-modified sleep (no sleep aids), including REM sleep.

What Stress?

Most people experience frequent recurring outbreaks associated with high levels of stress, the sort of stress that triggers intense emotion. Such emotions include anger and fear. Difficulties in relationships worry about personal finances just to name a few. These types of stresses can lead to recurring outbreaks and in some cases more frequent recurring outbreaks.

People with herpes infections must learn to control these 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. Whether through counseling, refinancing, eliminating debt or just ignoring the phone, changes need to be made.

Clothing Suggestions

Many people with herpes have found that tight clothing, especially undergarments, can stimulate recurrences. It is reasonable for the person suffering with frequent recurrences to at least make sure that garments in the pelvic area are not constricting. There’ve been many women say that cotton undergarments are best as is eliminating the wearing of pantyhose.

Sun and UV Exposure

Ultra-violet light exposure is known to re-activate oral herpes infections. Anyone living with herpes should avoid UV light exposure as much as possible, or certainly use a sunscreen of Factor 25 or higher on the face prior to UV exposure, it’s not a guarantee that it will eliminate recurring outbreaks and may take a much stronger sunscreen or lesser time in the sun, but that’s up to the person to find what works best for them.

If someone with frequent genital herpes recurrences happens to be visiting a tanning booth without clothing, it would be recommended to terminate or reduce these tanning visits.

Herpes Diet

Some people living with herpes have reported the benefits from diets with elevated lysine levels and decreased arginine levels. Research in this area does not support this suggestion for all patients suffering with herpes. However, lysine supplements are readily available at any health food store or pharmacy.

Some people have increased outbreaks due to excessive amounts of alcohol and/or caffeine. Progressive withdrawal of either or both might be considered in a patient with frequent recurrences.

Other people living with herpes have found a connection between recurring outbreaks and chocolate, nuts and rice, just to name a few.

It might be worth keeping a journal of your food intake just to rule out the food related possibilities that may be linked to recurring outbreaks.

Without a Prescription

Many herbal products have been shown to have properties that may benefit some people with herpes infections.

Some products are known to have anti-viral effects. These include red marine algae, olive leaf extract, melissa, and garlic. Others have reported a simple regimen of daily vitamin C has helped in their controlling herpes outbreaks.

Immune system stimulators include Echinacea have been reported as having benefit to many people with herpes, both oral and genital.

Topical Treatments

Some chemicals have been shown to have antiviral qualities. These include rubbing alcohol, various essential oils, and lemon balm. Of course as a person living with herpes, I’d consider rubbing alcohol to be my absolute last resort.


SOURCE: http://sexeducationforblondes.blogsp...0with%20Herpes