Thursday, April 21, 2011

Herpes - Hard-to-swallow facts

In the UK, 70% of the total population have oral herpes and 10% have genital herpes. About three quarters of them don't know that they have herpes. In most cases, herpes remains asymptomatic for days, months, or even years after infection. According to a study, about 1 in 4 has no symptoms of herpes, 2 in 4 may have mild symptoms but are unlikely to be diagnosed, and1 in 4 is likely to be diagnosed with noticeable symptoms.

Herpes

Herpes is a viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV-1 is the type of herpes simplex virus that causes oral herpes and its symptoms are cold sores and fever blisters around the mouth. Genital herpes is a disease that is caused by HSV-2, which affects the area around the genitals and anus. It appears as itching, burning, painful blisters, and redness around the skin. Genital herpes is basically transmitted by skin-to-skin contact.

Herpes and immune system

Herpes can affect the immune system by weakening it and making you more vulnerable to other diseases and infections. The immune system doesn't remain as active to fight off other diseases, as it gets busy fighting off herpes simplex virus. When the virus attacks the immune system, you get an outbreak of symptoms, but when your immune system fights back, you get less severe or no outbreaks. So, in order to prevent outbreak of symptoms, you need to have a strong immune system.

How can I prevent an outbreak of symptoms?

Once infected, no medication can cure herpes, but its symptoms can be controlled and treated using medications. Adopting simple lifestyle and dietary changes can also help decrease the frequency, length, and severity of outbreaks. Herpes simplex virus is an opportunistic virus and attacks when the immune system is weak. But if you have a healthy immune system, the chances of future outbreaks are significantly reduced. Following are some of the areas that people need to pay attention in order to strengthen the immune system and stay healthy:

Stress – It is one the most common triggers of outbreaks in people with herpes. Stress affects the immunity system and makes you susceptible to infections and other diseases. In fact, stress can account for about 70% of all illnesses and diseases. So, you need to work on management of your stress in order to control future outbreaks.

Diet – People with herpes need to pay attention to their diets as some foods contain high amounts of arginine that can aggravate the outbreak of symptoms. Also, if your body is not getting enough nutrients, it can take a toll on your immune system. Some of the factors that can also impair your immune system are obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, high cholesterol, and sugar consumption.

Exercise – Studies have shown that with just 30 minutes of regular aerobic exercise, immunity gets a boost.

Herpes treatment

Antiviral prescription medications are approved for genital herpes treatment. Valtrex and Famvir are two antiviral medications that can give relief from the painful symptoms of herpes and at the same time, can also prevent the spread of the virus. Valtrex can be taken for 1 to 2 days for cold sores treatment. Famvir tablets can also be used for cold sores and zoster treatment.

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