Not all diseases can be cured, and sexually transmitted diseases often fall into the category of incurables. Most sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, can be treated. Herpes is a disease that millions contract annually, and is completely manageable. Treatment falls into three categories, doctor treatments, home remedies, and herbal remedies.
What Does Herpes Look Like?
While some herpes outbreaks do not cause any symptoms, many do. You will see blisters on your genitals or buttocks region. They are often small and painful, and over the span of a few weeks, they will pop, scab, and then heal. You can see a red and raw area on your genitals, causing mild discomfort during urination. You may have symptoms that mimic the flu.
How Doctors Treat Herpes
The first step in having a doctor treat your herpes outbreak is to have it diagnosed. You do not want to rely on diagnosing yourself for a few reasons. The first is that you may treat something as herpes when he is not, while the other is the opposite. If you are suffering from asymptomatic herpes, you may spread it without knowing.
Once you have the diagnosis, you will need to begin the treatment plan. With physicians, they will offer you prescription antiviral medication, such as Zovirax, Famvir, or Valtrex. They will want you to manage your symptoms by taking precautions. This will allow you to heal faster, minimize the severity of the outbreak, reduce the chance of more outbreaks, and minimize the chance you will spread it to others.
Antiviral medication should only be taken as prescribed by a physician. Sometimes drugs are taken only during an outbreak, while others are taken on more of a regular basis. It will depend on how often you have breakouts, and whether or not you need a daily treatment that suppresses the virus.
Home Remedies Available
Home remedies are various treatments that can bring relief to your symptoms. They can be used along with antiviral medication, even though some people choose to use them instead of medication. If you choose to use them in combination with physician’s advice will have shorter outbreaks that are less painful. Keeping the area clean and dry is the best way to treat the boils. You can soak in warm water, but most doctors recommend that you do not use any additives such as Epsom salt. However, Epsom salts have been shown to relieve itching and discomfort. After you get out of the tub, you want to blot dry instead of rubbing the water off. Finally, get dressed in loose fitting clothing. When you wear loose clothing, you will allow your body to breathe. Tight clothing tends to aggravate your symptoms. Topical anesthetic and
over the counter pain medication are strongly recommended to help alleviate the pain.
Herbal Remedies
Similar to home remedies, another method that you can try is natural remedies. There are many over the counter medications you can try to help with a Herpes outbreak, but they come with side effects. A better option is to use herbal remedies such as Herstat, which contains Propolis. Propolis is a resin that is collected from beehives and it helps heal the sores. The resin should be applied up to four times a day for
ten days for the best results. Another herbal remedy that is successful is the combination of Prunella vulgaris and Rozites caperata. Prunella vulgaris is an herb that soothes the pain and heals lesions when added to hot water. Rozites caperata is an edible mushroom that can also assist the body in healing faster.
While they have not been proven, several other herbal treatments can be used. Echinacea helps boost ones immunity, and can be taken as a tincture, or through pressed juice. It has been shown to fight colds and infections, but there is currently no proof that it helps in the treatment of herpes. What has been shown to help with the pain and oozing is baking soda. It is a great treatment to dry up the wounds but it does not actually treat the lesions. Damp tea bags are believed to prevent the herpes from flaring, but it is unclear why. It is thought that the tannin in the tea treats sores immediately, preventing them from spreading. You need to steep the tea in the bag, but then cool it completely before lacing the bag to the sores. You will also want to remove as much of the moisture as possible. What this method has been proven
to help with is the inflammation that may occur with the lesions.
Once you contract herpes, it cannot be cured. It does not matter if you catch it early or after a full outbreak. Herpes is something that you can only manage and avoid sexual activity during flare-