Can Herpes Be Cured
Can Herpes Be Cured – Big Question 2015?
Surely in 2015: Can Herpes be cured Naturally must be yes? – The Hard Facts and the Remedies!
Millions of people around the world suffer from herpes and the numbers show no signs of waning. In fact, every year, in the US alone over a million new cases are reported.
If you actually look at the statistics for herpes, they can seem quite staggering.
One out of every four adults has herpes and in the US, over 30 million people are afflicted with this disease.
Famous celebrities such as Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, Britney Spears and many more have been reported to have herpes. So at least you’re in good company!
The disease has a very negative stigma attached to it and can cause humiliation and create self-esteem issues for the sufferer.
While herpes is not life-threatening, it can cause distress. The symptoms of this disease are either cold sores around the mouth or… painful, itchy sores that appear on the genital region. Sufferers can expect about 4 to 5 outbreaks a year.
While herpes has no cure, there are several treatments and medications that help to prevent or delay the outbreaks. Women tend to be more prone to this disease than men.
Herpes is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world. More people are infected with herpes than all the other STDs combined.
There are two common types of herpes – genital and oral herpes. About 90% of people have oral herpes which manifests itself as cold sores around the mouth and 20% of people have genital herpes.
Oral herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). It is highly contagious. Sharing utensils or kissing someone who has a cold sore can make you catch the virus. This is why oral herpes is so common.
Genital herpes, which is the more embarrassing one, is caused by the second type of herpes virus (HSV-2). The majority of people who have genital herpes are unaware that they are infected. The disease can lie dormant for years and suddenly show up as painful sores in the genital area.
There are both medical options and natural remedies that are highly effective for treating herpes and putting an end to the problem or keeping it under control at the very least.
One of the best guides available for treating herpes naturally is: The Ultimate Herpes Protocol. It has sold thousands of copies and the official site is filled with positive reviews from former herpes sufferers.
Dealing with herpes using natural remedies is the best way to go about it because these remedies address the root cause of the outbreaks unlike normal topical or oral medication which only treats the symptoms or delays them.
While it’s true that herpes can’t be cured!
What is herpes?
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease while oral herpes is a virus that can be passed without sexual contact.
There is an old riddle…
Q: What’s the difference between love and herpes?
A: Herpes lasts forever
While it may seem mildly amusing, it is very true. You absolutely can’t get rid of herpes. Once someone gets infected with herpes, the virus travels from the skin cells to the nerve cells and resides there forever. Depending on the individual, the virus may be dormant forever or for some people, they may have outbreaks every now and again.
What are the causes and symptoms of herpes?
There is no exact cause of herpes. It is a virus.
What you need to know is how it can be transmitted from person to person and what symptoms to look out for.
The more common oral herpes virus (HSV-1) is extremely easy to pick up. Mothers can pass it on to their children with a simple peck on the cheek, assuming that the mother has herpes.
This herpes simplex virus is easily spread among people just through close contact. It is possible to get herpes simplex from an infected person who is not displaying any outward signs such as sores.
This is what makes it so aggravating. There is no way to prevent yourself from getting oral herpes. It’s all luck of the draw.
Now let’s look at genital herpes which is the more worrisome type of herpes. With oral herpes, you may get a cold sore or blister on the lip that is easily treated with over the counter creams.
The sores that you get with HSV-2 are much more painful and take longer to heal.
The genital herpes virus is almost always passed from person to person thorough sexual contact. It is highly contagious and can be passed on even when there is no visible open sore.
The good news is that the virus can’t live outside the body. So, you can’t get herpes by sharing a towel, toilet, etc.
The severity of the herpes will often depend on how soon the sufferer displays the symptoms. Those who start displaying the symptoms soon after they’re infected often suffer more.
They will notice small blisters appearing on their skin. These will then turn into sores which are raw and can be painful. This is definitely not a pleasant situation to be in. Most genital herpes sufferers constantly live in fear that an outbreak might be just around the corner.
Common symptoms of genital herpes are:
- Small blisters that turn into open, painful sores. These sores may appear on your genitals or on the surrounding areas such as your thighs, rectum or buttocks.
- You may experience a burning sensation during urination. Especially true for women.
- There will be itching and tingling sensations in the genital area.
- Other symptoms such as fevers, swollen lymph nodes, backaches, headaches and unexplained fatigue are related to herpes. Many people don’t realise this because they seem unrelated.
The rise in cases of genital herpes can be attributed to promiscuous behaviour. The main reason genital herpes cases have risen so rapidly is due to casual sexual attitudes amongst both genders.
The more sex partners you have, the higher your chances of getting herpes. This is especially so for women who are more susceptible to contracting herpes and having more painful symptoms.
If you’re about to have sexual intercourse with someone who is relatively new in your life, do use condoms or ask your partner to. Birth control pills and IUDs while highly effective at preventing pregnancies have no effect on herpes. Condoms are the best option… but even they aren’t entirely fail-proof.
What are the triggers that cause herpes outbreaks?
There are a few triggers that make it much more likely for people infected with herpes to get an outbreak. Minimise these triggers and you will effectively be able to delay or even prevent any herpes outbreak.
- Weakened immune system due to illness or medication
- Stress
- Overexposure to the sun
- Surgery
- Menstrual periods
- Sexual intercourse
What is herpes zoster?
While most people are aware of genital and oral herpes, most do not know that there is another type known as herpes zoster.
This is an old disease, believed to have had a parasitic relationship with mankind since we first domesticated farm animals. For this reason, it has become adaptive, even evolving into other strains. The basic form of the disease is also known as shingles and can be rather strong and deleterious to the skin.
Herpes zoster comes from the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that brings about chickenpox. After a person has contracted chickenpox, the virus remains in the body indefinitely, meaning that an attack of herpes zoster can result at any time.
Age and stress on the immune functions of the body are believed to be the primary factors as it is usually those over sixty and those with weakened immune systems who display symptoms of this disease. It is usually the torso of the body, and not the lips or genital region that is affected. The condition manifests as a belt-shaped rash.
Symptoms begin with a rash of flushed patches that wrap around the body from the spine to the mid-section at the front of the body. Usually only one half of the body is affected.
Soon blisters will form over the rash and break within a week. These blisters rupture leaving behind sores. The sores will naturally crust over and fall off in a fortnight. At this point the skin will be rosy-coloured and tender, but healthy.
Though the trunk of the body is the usual zone of incidence, any part of the body is susceptible, including the face. As the herpes zoster virus stores itself in the nerves of the spine, it uses the nerves to travel through the body before rising to the surface of the skin.
So how do you diagnose herpes?
Simple. You don’t. Always seek the help of a professional. Make an appointment with your doctor. He/she will be the best person to guide you.
Do not try to self-diagnose or treat yourself because you’re embarrassed. Proper treatment when done early will help to remedy the outbreak easily. Procrastinating treatment will exacerbate the condition.
Is Herpes a Permanent Condition?
Yes it is. It’s tough, but if you have herpes, you must come to terms with the fact that you will have it for life. Do not panic yet. There is hope.
While the condition is permanent, with the correct treatment, you can keep it at bay for years. In fact, medication and natural remedies are so effective that many people are able to lead healthy and rewarding lives without overly worrying about their condition.
The condition is an intermittent one. There will be outbreaks and these will subside. The severity of the condition will vary depending on the factors that cause it.
If you’re very stressed out, you may get blisters and sores. If your immune system is down due to an illness or infection, you may get an outbreak. In most cases, there is a trigger.
This is the key to preventing herpes. Since this is a problem that can’t be permanently cured, the best way to deal with it will be to control the triggers that cause the flare ups.
There are many excellent guides such as: The Ultimate Herpes Protocol, an online best-seller, which will show you exactly how to go about controlling the triggers and keeping them in check.
What the guides teach you to do is to have control over your herpes and not let it control your life. There are a ton of helpful practices and little lifestyle changes in the guide that you can use to keep this embarrassing STD in check.
Once you have control over your herpes, you’ll not need to worry. The new habits that you have formed will be healthy and you’ll not be at risk of exacerbating your condition.
Since certain triggers cause herpes outbreaks, by controlling or eliminating them, that’s half the battle won.
You may not be able to make herpes vanish permanently but if you don’t worry about it any more and it’s not a threat, then it can be considered as a problem that is resolved.
Diagnosis and Medical Treatment Options for herpes sufferers
While it may be true that herpes is incurable, it is still treatable.
The difference between medical treatments and natural treatments is that medical treatments will be able to reduce the pain, itchiness and other symptoms very fast. If your sores hurt or are itching like crazy, the best way to address the problem immediately will be to use topical and systemic treatments.
Do not try natural treatments or home remedies if you are in a lot of discomfort. While highly effective, these holistic treatments take time to work because they are fixing the problem from the “inside”.
The pain and itching is on the “outside”… So, immediate relief can be had with medical treatments.
The medical treatments are highly effective at treating the symptoms immediately and also preventing breakouts from re-occurring in the long run.
However, your plan should be to use the medical treatments to address the immediate discomfort and once that is settled, you should adopt the natural treatments to control the herpes and prevent the sores from appearing again.
There are 3 common medications that can be used to treat both types of herpes, which are:
- Acyclovir (Zovirax)
- Famciclovir (Famvir)
- Valacyclovir (Valtrex)
You have to admit… they do sound cool. Too bad that herpes is anything but cool.
Most doctors will prescribe the drugs in pill forms because topical application is not very effective at treating genital herpes. In the case of oral herpes, you may use Zovirax cream to apply on your cold sores.
For genital herpes, your doctor will prescribe oral medication.
The first herpes outbreak usually sends many sufferers into a panic since they do not know what to expect. The doctor usually treats these patients with a course of antiviral drugs for a period of 7 to 10 days depending on the severity of the condition.
If the sores take longer to heal, your treatment will last longer.
Once the episode is over, the doctor will assess the situation and ask you if you wish to take any medication to speed up the healing process. The sores usually heal on their own… but if you can’t wait, then you can take these medications.
You may also speak to the doctor about giving you some medication to keep on standby so that in the event you have a flare up, you can immediately arrest the problem by taking the medication.
Depending on the number of outbreaks you have in a year, you may choose to go on suppressive treatment. That means you will be consuming antiviral medication daily to keep the herpes under control. This can greatly minimise your chances of getting a flare up.
However, on the downside, you will be taking drugs daily and in the long run, that’s usually not a good idea. Ultimately, you will have to decide what is best for you. Before deciding whether to go on suppressive medication, do give the natural remedies a try for a period of 3 to 4 months.
You may be pleasantly surprised at how well they work for you.
There are many excellent guides such as: The Ultimate Herpes Protocol, an online best-seller, which will show you exactly how to go about controlling the triggers and keeping them in check.
Natural Remedies for Treating Herpes
Before even trying the natural treatments out, there are 3 things you need to know.
- Natural treatments take time to work so you need to be consistent.
- What works for one person may not work for another. There is some trial and error involved.
- These are just a few of the many natural remedies. If you want a complete list of effective natural methods, you should get a good herpes guide to help you.
These methods vary in efficacy. However, many different people have reported that they have helped in alleviating the pain, reducing the itching, and most importantly, reduced or prevented flare ups.
- Take a warm shower
Take warm showers and wash your sores with soap and water often. This will keep the sores clean and reduce the chances of getting an infection. It also aids in healing.
Always dry your body and sores gently but thoroughly. If your sores are wet, the healing process will be prolonged.
- Manage your stress well
Stress is a factor in many health problems. In our rat race society, just about everyone is stressed out and walking about with frazzled nerves. Stress can cause herpes sores to appear.
Many people with oral herpes have noticed that they get cold sores when they are stressed out, don’t get enough sleep or try to burn the candle at both ends.
Manage your stress with meditation, yoga, long walks, light music, etc. Do whatever it takes to de-stress. For one person, that might mean watching a comedy and for another, that might mean mountain climbing. Whatever the case is, make time to step out from the hustle and bustle of daily life and calm down.
- Eat a wholesome and healthy diet.
A good, clean diet keeps you strong and healthy. We all know that… but how does it prevent herpes outbreaks?
It boosts your immune system. A strong immune system is one of the best defences against herpes flare ups. The reason herpes rears its ugly head more often in older people is because their immune system is weaker.
Make sure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body requires for it to flourish. Avoid alcohol, smoking, junk food and processed food. The cleaner your habits are, the lower your chances of getting herpes outbreaks.
- Drink lots of water
The benefits of drinking water and staying hydrated have been extolled for centuries. Yet, most people prefer guzzling sodas, beer and sweetened fruit juices.
Stick to water. Drink it often and in sufficient quantities. It will help to flush out the toxins in your body and keep your skin supple and healthy. Do remember that the sores and blisters appear on your skin.
The healthier your skin is, the lower your chances of getting a nasty outbreak.
- Use latex condoms
As mentioned earlier, latex condoms are the best safeguard against herpes. Ideally, being faithful to one person is the best way not to catch herpes… and hopefully, the partner is faithful too.
- Use aloe vera
Use natural aloe vera gel, preferably freshly squeezed from the plant, to apply on your sores. The gel is soothing and has healing properties too.
You should also drink aloe vera juice to boost your health. Natural remedies are all about treating the problem from within.
- Don’t share personal items
Items such as utensils, toothbrushes, mouth guards, etc. should not be shared. Someone with herpes could easily get infected by sharing such items with another person who already has the disease.
- Consume Lysine supplements
This is one of those treatments that works wonders for some people and has no effect on others. You will need to try it out to see if it works for you.
Lysine is an amino acid that blocks arginine by inhibiting its metabolism. The herpes virus uses arginine to replicate and grow. Without arginine, the virus’ progress will be slowed down.
Therefore, you should get a lysine supplement and consume sufficient quantities of it so that you can retard the growth of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 viruses.
- Baking soda / Hydrogen peroxide / apple cider vinegar / Epsom salts
All these 3 ingredients are effective at combating the herpes virus.
The baking soda, apple cider vinegar and Epsom salts work in the same way. Mix them in your bath and soak in them for 10 to 20 minutes.
Try each individually and see which one works for you.
As for the hydrogen peroxide, you should get a 3% to 5% solution from the pharmacy or chemist. Women can use it as a douche. It is very effective at killing the nasty bacteria but leaving the good bacteria in the vagina unaffected.
Men may soak a cotton ball in the hydrogen peroxide and apply it to the blisters or sores.
These unique methods will cleanse the sores, soothe them and dry them out so that they heal faster.
- Coconut oil / oregano oil / garlic extract
These three ingredients are extremely powerful. All of them contain antiviral properties and since herpes is a virus, these foods will kill the herpes virus and prevent it from getting out of control.
Make sure that the oregano oil and coconut oil is pure for maximum effectiveness. You can purchase garlic extracts from many health stores. These are far more effective than just using garlic in your cooking.
- Tea tree oil
This is another effective remedy for herpes sores and is especially good for cold sores that appear on or around your lips.
Use a Q-tip and apply some tea tree oil on your sores. The oil has antiviral properties and is soothing.
There are many excellent guides such as: The Ultimate Herpes Protocol, an online best-seller, which will show you exactly how to go about controlling the triggers and keeping them in check.
In Conclusion…
There are many other natural remedies that are highly effective for treating herpes. However, this report is just meant to be a primer. Examining the efficacy and benefits of all the different holistic herpes remedies are beyond the scope of this report.
If you really want to get your herpes under control so that it’s not like a dark cloud that is always hanging above your head, you really should invest in a herpes guide such as The Ultimate Herpes Protocol. You’ll reap the rewards many times over just by applying the knowledge within.
What really matters is that you take action to fight the problem. The medications and creams may work but do you really want to be reliant on them for the rest of your life?
Do you want to live life constantly fearing when an outbreak may occur?
Of course not. The only way to prevent blisters and sores from appearing permanently or at the very least, from appearing frequently, will be to use natural treatments to bolster your immune system and keep the herpes at bay. It can be done.
Herpes is NOT a death sentence. Millions of people around the world have their herpes under control and live long, fruitful lives. You can be one of them.
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