Treatments for herpes

What is herpes?

Genital herpes, commonly known as herpes is a disease that is sexually transmitted. The (STD) is caused by the virus type 1 (HSV-1) herpes simplex and the type 2 virus (HSV-2). The type one virus causes sores on the face, mouth and lips but on rare occasions it can also cause sores on the genitals; the type two virus is very much known for its characteristic nature to cause sores on the genitals.

Once you are infected with either of the herpes viruses, you need to seek immediate medical care before the disease ends up being a life time affair. The disease grows slowly in the body, presenting few symptoms that may pass for a normal genital infection; if one is not keen enough the disease can go unnoticed for 4 to 5 years with a bout of dormancy and recurrence. Treatments for herpes can be achieved by use of antiviral drugs; theses drugs help people who are infected by enabling them to stay symptom free for longer thus reducing the severity that the malady presents to the victim.
When and How treatments for Herpes are administered

Initial Treatment

Should your doctor first diagnose you with herpes and you have symptoms characterized by sores, he will present to you a brief course of antiviral therapy which is normally 7 to 10 days. The therapy is aimed at relieving the sores or preventing them from worsening; the doctor also retains the power to keep you on the medication longer should the healing process slacken.
Immediately after this first treatment, you need to agree with your doctor and come up with a paramount mode to take the antiviral therapies. These treatments for herpes have two options,

The intermittent treatment: 

During this phase of treatment, your doctor prescribes an antiviral for you to carry on hand just in case you have recurring flare up. You are at will to take the pills for two to five days as soon as you perceive the sores or when you feel the onset of an outbreak. The sores will eventually disappear or heal on their own, and taking the drugs reduces the severability of the symptoms.

The suppressive treatment: 

Treatments for herpes of this nature are administered when a patient experiences regular outbreaks of the disease. Your doctor will advise you to take an antiviral daily; most doctors' term this mode of treatment as suppressive therapy since it reduces the number of recurrent outbreaks by 70% to 80% to someone who experiences six or more outbreaks in a year. This therapy also reduces the risk of one transmitting the virus to his or her sexual partner.

Home treatments for herpes
The ailing body infested by aching sores can give you discomfort, in addition to the medical treatments for herpes you can try out some of these home remedies to better calm your nerves and reduce the pain.
Bath regularly with warm water and if possible soak in it for a few minutes; use also good medicated soap and wash the area around the genitals that has the sores. Try and get a suitable way to leave the genitalia free from pubic hair as they normally trap in sweat which breeds in bacteria. After the bath dry the area thoroughly using a clean towel. You can also apply baking soda or cornstarch directly to the sores to ease the pain; afterwards wear a clean pair of underpants and change them twice or thrice a day.