Herpes is one of the common forms of viral diseases. If you want to defeat the herpes infection you must know everything about its background and symptoms.
The herpes simplex virus may be of two forms: Herpes Simplex Type 1 and Herpes Simplex Type 2. Both of them have similar symptoms: red skin, fever and discomfort. Herpes Simplex Type 1 may breed the Herpes Simplex Type 2 virus and vice versa.
Herpes Simplex Type 1 targets the oral area (mouth) both inside and outside. The most typical symptoms of oral herpes are cold scores or blisters and red spots on the lips, tongue and other areas of the mouth. All these visible symptoms of herpes may be accompanied by pain, headache, itching, tingling, burning sensations and fever. Oral herpes is a very annoying disease; it hinders the intake of food and drink as they cause skin irritation in the affected area. The disease¡¯s duration and cure varies from person to person.
The Herpes Simplex Type 2 virus targets the genital area and is considered to be a sexually transmitted disease. Once you are infected with herpes, the virus remains in your body for a long time. The symptoms are the same: blisters on or around the genitals. The worst thing about this type of herpes is that genital herpes symptoms are not always visible and may be absent.
Both genital and oral herpes are contagious and any contact may bring about the spreading of the virus. Intimate contacts and sexual relationships are not encouraged at all. Once the virus enters your body, it remains there for a rather long period. Herpes may have a deceiving impression: the symptoms may disappear but the virus may stay and reactivate from time to time.
Some factors and circumstances can aggravate any disease including herpes. Stress, overworking and lack of sleep or rest can trigger the outbreak of cold scores.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have now figured out how the HSV1 manages to hide out. Apparently they lie dormant in the trigeminal nerve of the face until they are triggered by excessive sunlight, a fever or other stresses.
Well now that scientists are beginning to understand how the virus switches back and forth from dormant to active phase, and this could lead to a cure. When the virus gets stimulated it creates new molecular material (RNA) and replicates and then goes out on its so-called "new mission"-hence the cold sores. If scientists can create a drug that binds to the RNA and stimulates the replication you essentially activate the virus and then kill the virus by having the patient take acyclovir. You would then have a situation where a virus was eradicated for good.
Acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir (Famvir)--the anti-viral pills used to treat genital herpes--can also treat the cold sores associated with oral herpes. In addition, acyclovir is available in topical form, as is penciclovir (a related drug).
Penciclovir (Denavir) heals HSV-1 sores on average about half a day faster than without treatment, stops viral shedding and reduces the duration of pain. Ideally the patient should apply the cream within the first hour of symptoms although benefits have also been noted with later application. It is continued for 4 consecutive days and should be reapplied every 2 hours while awake.
Acyclovir cream (Zovirax) works best when applied early on (at the first sign of pain or tingling).
Docosanol cream (Abreva) is the only FDA-approved non-prescription ointment for oral herpes. It is applied five times a day, beginning at the first sign of tingling or pain.
Over-the-counter topical anesthetics may provide modest relief. They include Anbesol gel, Blistex lip ointment, Campho-phenique, Herpecin-L, Viractin, and Zilactin.
These ointments or creams help shorten healing time and duration of symptoms. However, none are truly effective in eliminating outbreaks. Drug trials to begin developing medicinal antiviral plant extracts are now in the works. Studies of these antiviral extracts demonstrate that many of these compounds exhibit significant anti-herpetic activity. Several actually inactivate HSV with great effectiveness. These antiviral extracts represent new effective treatment options for therapeutic use as virucidal agents for recurring herpes infections.
We know that the extracts in OutbreakBalm-Rx have a direct action to eliminate viruses. A clinical study performed in 1999 with the extracts in OutbreakBalm-Rx and their components in vivo against the herpes virus type 2 showed the extracts effectively killed the life span of the herpes virus upon exposure.
The herpes simplex virus may be of two forms: Herpes Simplex Type 1 and Herpes Simplex Type 2. Both of them have similar symptoms: red skin, fever and discomfort. Herpes Simplex Type 1 may breed the Herpes Simplex Type 2 virus and vice versa.
Herpes Simplex Type 1 targets the oral area (mouth) both inside and outside. The most typical symptoms of oral herpes are cold scores or blisters and red spots on the lips, tongue and other areas of the mouth. All these visible symptoms of herpes may be accompanied by pain, headache, itching, tingling, burning sensations and fever. Oral herpes is a very annoying disease; it hinders the intake of food and drink as they cause skin irritation in the affected area. The disease¡¯s duration and cure varies from person to person.
The Herpes Simplex Type 2 virus targets the genital area and is considered to be a sexually transmitted disease. Once you are infected with herpes, the virus remains in your body for a long time. The symptoms are the same: blisters on or around the genitals. The worst thing about this type of herpes is that genital herpes symptoms are not always visible and may be absent.
Both genital and oral herpes are contagious and any contact may bring about the spreading of the virus. Intimate contacts and sexual relationships are not encouraged at all. Once the virus enters your body, it remains there for a rather long period. Herpes may have a deceiving impression: the symptoms may disappear but the virus may stay and reactivate from time to time.
Some factors and circumstances can aggravate any disease including herpes. Stress, overworking and lack of sleep or rest can trigger the outbreak of cold scores.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have now figured out how the HSV1 manages to hide out. Apparently they lie dormant in the trigeminal nerve of the face until they are triggered by excessive sunlight, a fever or other stresses.
Well now that scientists are beginning to understand how the virus switches back and forth from dormant to active phase, and this could lead to a cure. When the virus gets stimulated it creates new molecular material (RNA) and replicates and then goes out on its so-called "new mission"-hence the cold sores. If scientists can create a drug that binds to the RNA and stimulates the replication you essentially activate the virus and then kill the virus by having the patient take acyclovir. You would then have a situation where a virus was eradicated for good.
Acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir (Famvir)--the anti-viral pills used to treat genital herpes--can also treat the cold sores associated with oral herpes. In addition, acyclovir is available in topical form, as is penciclovir (a related drug).
Penciclovir (Denavir) heals HSV-1 sores on average about half a day faster than without treatment, stops viral shedding and reduces the duration of pain. Ideally the patient should apply the cream within the first hour of symptoms although benefits have also been noted with later application. It is continued for 4 consecutive days and should be reapplied every 2 hours while awake.
Acyclovir cream (Zovirax) works best when applied early on (at the first sign of pain or tingling).
Docosanol cream (Abreva) is the only FDA-approved non-prescription ointment for oral herpes. It is applied five times a day, beginning at the first sign of tingling or pain.
Over-the-counter topical anesthetics may provide modest relief. They include Anbesol gel, Blistex lip ointment, Campho-phenique, Herpecin-L, Viractin, and Zilactin.
These ointments or creams help shorten healing time and duration of symptoms. However, none are truly effective in eliminating outbreaks. Drug trials to begin developing medicinal antiviral plant extracts are now in the works. Studies of these antiviral extracts demonstrate that many of these compounds exhibit significant anti-herpetic activity. Several actually inactivate HSV with great effectiveness. These antiviral extracts represent new effective treatment options for therapeutic use as virucidal agents for recurring herpes infections.
We know that the extracts in OutbreakBalm-Rx have a direct action to eliminate viruses. A clinical study performed in 1999 with the extracts in OutbreakBalm-Rx and their components in vivo against the herpes virus type 2 showed the extracts effectively killed the life span of the herpes virus upon exposure.
