Cause and Remedy for Herpes
A herpes outbreak or attack can cause symptoms that can be very painful. Occurrences of cold sores or blisters in and around the mouth and genital area can be quite painful, resulting in a burning sensation, swelling, itching and even difficulty or pain when urinating. Aside from these, herpes can be ocular which means that it can occur in the eye's cornea and can be damaging to the extent of causing blindness if it is not treated accordingly.
A person infected with this virus will not show signs of infection until the disease manifests itself. How the virus is triggered may be caused by different conditions. Some causes of a herpes outbreak can be brought about by both physical and emotional stress, hormonal imbalance, menstruation, common illness, a poor immune system and trauma to the infected area.
Common Herpes Remedies
Although herpes has no known cure, infected persons who suffer from an outbreak are typically given antiviral medication to help manage and relieve the pain. Common drugs to help control outbreaks and symptoms are Famvir, Valtrex and Zovirax .
In order to alleviate the itching and the pain around the sores and blisters, some natural remedies include applying some grated carrots wrapped in a cloth to the affected areas to help ease the swelling. Peppermint tea is a good way of reducing fever, and lemon balm or thyme applied around the affected areas are said to help decrease the frequency of outbreaks.
Other natural remedies of a herpes outbreak include applying an ice pack on the affected areas. This will ease some of the discomfort like itching. Warm baths are also recommended to help relieve the pain brought about by genital sores.
Proper hygiene is also very important and should be practiced to help hasten the healing.
A Healthy Lifestyle Is A Good Prevention
Herpes is a virus that can lie dormant within the body for a long time. It remains in the body until something triggers it to become active again. Just like a cold or fever, our body constantly fights off the virus in order to prevent us from getting sick. The antibodies are what keeps these viruses in check.
Therefore, the key to controlling the virus is to maintain a healthy immune system. Drinking alcohol, smoking and foods rich in sugar can cause damage to the immune system so they must be avoided. Aside from avoiding a stressful and an unhealthy lifestyle, those diagnosed with the disease should also see to it that they eat a well balanced diet that include lots of vitamins and minerals in order to help prevent outbreaks in the future. Yogurt is rich in Acidophilus and is a good way of boosting the immune system. The same is true with vitamins C and E, as well as zinc.