Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spot the early symptoms of herpes

Early detection is a very important part of the management of any sexually transmitted disease (STD). While majority of experts firmly believe that early and accurate diagnosis can prevent mass-scale STD transmission, the reality tells a different story. Genital herpes, an STD that has made its way into the top 10 list of most feared sexually transmitted infections, can be diagnosed in time to minimise the risk of transmission and also to reduce the pain it causes to the sufferer.

It is really possible to diagnose genital herpes?

The Centers for Disease Control in the US has declared it in no uncertain terms that genital herpes can be diagnosed early for quicker and more effective treatment. It is still not possible to completely cure a herpes patient, but with timely detection of the herpes simplex virus in the body, it is possible to start antiviral treatment early. Medicines such as Valtrex and Famvir should  be used as soon as possible after herpes is detected. The same goes for herpes zoster (shingles) and cold sores treatment.

To begin herpes treatment with antiviral medication, clinical diagnosis is important. As about 20% of the total herpes patients do not even know that they carry the virus, it is no good to wait until visual symptoms appear. Another problem with visual symptoms is that majority of people confuse them with the signs of other health conditions and remain completely ignorant of the onset of a herpes outbreak.

Types of tests

A blood test is one of the most sought after tests to predict the presence of the herpes simplex virus. It can detect herpes simplex virus antibodies even when no visible symptoms are present. But the problem with a blood test is that it can churn out a false-negative result if you are infected within the past few days. It usually takes a few weeks for the herpes simplex virus to be present in the blood.

PCR and Tzanck tests are also reliable ways to diagnose genital herpes. A Tzanck test can be conducted when sores and blisters are visible. The medical examiner would take a sample  from your lesions and place it on a microscopic slide. Then the sample will be stained with a certain type of dye to differentiate the infected cells from the uninfected ones.

Considering the inconsistent results obtained from the Tzanck test, many doctors rely on the PCR and culture tests. The PCR test, which tries to detect the DNA of the herpes simplex virus, is scientifically very accurate but can be expensive for many patients.

An upcoming test to diagnose genital herpes involves urine and saliva testing. The feasibility and effectiveness of this test is still under clinical investigation and once it is approved by medical authorities, you can hope for a far better and more accurate herpes diagnosis in future, compared to the current scenario.

Once genital herpes is diagnosed, your doctor may recommend either Valtrex or Famvir to minimise the risk of transmission and also to shorten the severity of an outbreak. You can buy either of these medicines online from the convenience of your place.

1 comment:

  1. It is terrible sometime.But anyone who got it should be positive

    ReplyDelete