Herpes is one of the most common viral diseases. Almost every other inhabitant of our planet is infected with it. Herpes has many varieties, the simplest of which is fever blisters on the lips, and the more severe form is herpes on the body. When this unpleasant condition occurs, it is necessary to consult a doctor who should determine the causes and prescribe proper treatment.
Causes of herpes
The following factors can contribute to the onset of the disease:
overheating of the body,
infection penetrating through mucous membranes,
sexual contact or use of common household items with a carrier of the herpes virus,
hypothermia leading to decreased immunity,
airborne infection,
sudden decrease in immunity.
Herpes can infiltrate the lymph nodes, blood, and internal organs, then spread throughout the body along nerve fibers. By entering the human genome, herpes can be passed on through inheritance.
Types of herpes
The following types of herpes can occur in humans:
Simplex herpes virus type 1 (localized in the area of the lips and mouth),
Simplex herpes virus type 2 (localized in the genitals),
Herpes simplex virus type 3 (chickenpox, herpes zoster),
Herpes simplex virus type 4 (Epstein-Barr virus),
Herpes simplex virus type 5 (Cytomegalovirus),
Neonatal herpes (infection occurs during passage through the birth canal of an infected mother).
Symptoms of herpes and its signs
The incubation period for herpes infection is up to 10 days, but sometimes it can last up to 3 weeks. The first signs of herpes are multiple vesicular eruptions, which merge to form larger ones. Their appearance is accompanied by itching and painful sensations. The patient may experience weakness, headache, muscle pain, and fever. Sometimes herpes can be complicated by inflammation of the meninges. If this problem does not bother, the rash remains for up to 3 weeks, during which they are covered with crusts and gradually disappear.
Treatment of herpes
Currently, there is no answer to the question of “how to cure herpes forever.” However, there are various methods of dealing with this disease that help reduce unpleasant symptoms and shorten the duration of its manifestation. There are many drugs aimed at treating herpes. Ointments applied locally during exacerbation of the disease are most often used. The choice of suitable medications should be made based on the doctor’s recommendation. Only a specialist can determine how to treat herpes in your case and select drugs suitable for your skin.
Treatment of herpes with folk remedies
There are quite effective folk remedies for herpes. Here are a few good recipes.
Treatment of herpes at home can be done with the help of oils. Fir, camphor, and tea tree oils are best suited for this purpose. Affected areas should be lubricated three times a day until complete disappearance. The remedy can act very quickly, and within a couple of days, herpes on the skin, lips, or other areas will begin to disappear.
How to get rid of herpes quickly? Use a tincture of birch buds. Thanks to this method, rashes disappear rapidly. The tincture is prepared as follows: 25 grams of birch buds are poured with a glass of alcohol, placed in a dark place, and allowed to infuse for 2 weeks. Then strain and rub the affected areas. Herpes on the body will immediately stop bothering you with painful sensations and will quickly disappear.
A wonderful folk method for quickly curing herpes is garlic treatment. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the affected areas with the cut side. It is important to rub, not smear, so that the garlic juice is well absorbed into the skin. It is recommended to perform the procedure before bedtime and, of course, avoid contact with water afterwards.
Ice will be a faithful assistant in the early stages of the disease. Just take an ice cube and apply it to the blisters. It should not be kept for long – avoid overcooling the sore. After such a procedure, the healing process accelerates. You can do it several days in a row.
Herpes during pregnancy
During pregnancy, the female immune system weakens, so herpes can manifest itself during this period. Infection with herpes during pregnancy is considered very dangerous, as there is a high probability of the virus entering the baby’s body through the placenta.
In the case of recurrent disease, the risk of infecting the child is not high – in this case, it is necessary to limit the use of antiviral drugs, which also have a harmful effect on the fetus.
To accelerate the healing process of rashes, you can apply some folk methods. For example, lubricate the affected areas with rosehip or sea buckthorn oil. Rosehip oil works very well for genital herpes. The duration of such treatment is 2-3 weeks.
During this period, it is necessary to activate the body’s defenses. For this purpose, the doctor may prescribe immunostimulants (vitamins of group B, ginseng, etc.).
Herpes in children
The virus often enters the child’s body at a young age but manifests itself much later. Its active development begins, for example, during some illness when the immune system is significantly weakened. Herpes in children often occurs from the moment they start attending educational institutions, from hypothermia, overheating, or infection with other infectious diseases.
The treatment of herpes in children is a serious measure that should be monitored by a doctor. It should be comprehensive and based on diagnostic results. A significant role is given to antiviral drugs, immunomodulators, interferon inducers, and local remedies.
Prevention of herpes
As long as medicine does not know a means to completely cure the herpes simplex virus, more complex types of it, or its types, prevention of infection and strengthening the immune system in general come to the fore. It is absolutely possible to protect yourself from genital herpes, just by observing personal hygiene: do not use someone else’s lipstick, share a cigarette, drink, or eat only from your own dishes, always use condoms.
To prevent the insidious herpes virus from appearing on your body and ruining your life, try to make every effort to strengthen your immune system. Only in this case will no viruses scare you. Try to eat a balanced diet, consuming all the necessary microelements and vitamins, drink more water, exercise, get enough sleep, quit bad habits, try not to allow overcooling or overheating of the body.
Any manifestation of this disease will be an unpleasant surprise. Herpes on the lips, as well as herpes on the face, spoils a person’s appearance and interferes with normal living. However, one should not stop fighting! You need to try new remedies, treatment methods. This way, you will definitely find your remedy that will quickly and effectively fight the ailment.
