Herpes Doctor

No, at present there is no cure for Herpes. Herpes is a virus and viruses
are nearly impossible to eliminate. Fortunately the herpes virus is latent
in your body most of the time and it is fairly easy to keep
the outbreaks at a minimum. The pattern of outbreaks tend to vary from
person to person. Typical triggers of outbreaks are:

• Another illness
• Low immune defense system
• Tiredness
• Stress

As the above suggests, a healthy lifestyle can be a big
factor in preventing herpes outbreaks. You'll have to prioritize a good nights
sleep and healthy eating, take multi vitamins and exercise. You
should also involve your doctor, often one type of medication will
have little or no effect, but you can always try something else.

Common Treatments for the Herpes Virus

You will find more detailed information in the Herpes Treatment Section. Below is a brief overview of the treatments available.

Oral Herpes - Cold Sores

For oral herpes you can use a cream with the active ingredients
Acyclovir and Penciclovir. The common brands are Zovirax and Vectavir. They
are available over the counter in the pharmacies but you should
consult your doctor regardless for a diagnosis and follow-up on
the progress. When you use the cream, you should not use your
fingers. Wash your hands first and then use a cotton bud. Avoid
touching the tip and do not dip it in the cream more than once.
This way you avoid cross contamination.i

Genital Herpes

Acyclovir
was the first effective antiviral agent and although it's not used so much
anymore your doctor may still prescribe it to you. It
is taken as an episodic (means you treat only when you have
symptoms) treatment and can reduce the pain and healing
time as well as shorten the duration of the outbreak. It will
also reduce the risk of passing on the herpes virus.

Valacyclovir is also an episodic treatment and has similar effects
to Acyclovir. If you take Valacyclovir when you feel the very
first signs of an outbreak, ie before you have a rash or blisters
it is possible to completely prevent the outbreak. This of course is it's
major advantage over Acyclovir. It will also
reduce the number of outbreaks.

Famciclovir also has similar effects to Acyclovir and Valacyclovir
and will also reduce the amount of outbreaks.

As you can see, the effects of these three antiviral treatments are
fairly similar. They may vary from person to person and it is difficult
to say which will be the best for you. They are safe to take providing
you follow your DOCTORS DIRECTIONS, very few
people experience side effects such as headache, nausea or diarrhea.

The Future of Herpes Treatment?

At present a number of vaccines are being tested and the results are
promising. However they are not yet available to the public and it
may be years before they are.

There are plenty of alternative treatments available. You should
research these thoroughly if you are considering this course. It is
a very good idea to educate yourself and keep up to date with
current research and opinion if you suffer from Herpes.

Still Need Help?

Why not ask your question in our Public Q&A Forum? We'd be glad to hear from you and will try to help as best we can ;-)