How to Alleviate the Pain of Herpes

Herpes is a disease that can affect the lip area or the genitals, causing painful or itchy sores. Symptoms appear, fade away on their own and then return at some undetermined point in the future. The pattern potentially repeating itself throughout life, though in some patients the severity lessens significantly over time. So far, medical science has not come up with a cure for the infection, and the virus remains in your body permanently. Symptoms of the disease are, however, manageable through a variety of methods.

Instructions

Write Article: How to Alleviate the Pain of Herpes

• 1

  Get a proper diagnosis from a physician. Other conditions can mimic the symptoms of herpes both in the oral area and the genital area. If you have something besides herpes and try to treat it with herpes-specific remedies, the real problem will go untreated and could even get worse. See a health care provider who is experienced in skin conditions, particularly herpes. Options include a family doctor, internist, gynecologist (if you are female), urologist or dermatologist. They can diagnose based on symptoms or order laboratory tests.

• 2

  Try home remedies. One of the simplest treatments, if you are dealing with genital herpes, is a hot bath to take the sting out of the sores. You can also try washing the affected area a few times a day with warm-to-hot water for the same effect. Other options include over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen.

• 3

  Get a prescription for one of the standard anti-herpes medications. They are acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir. You can take them only during outbreaks in what is called episodic therapy. This can shorten the outbreak by a couple of days and lessen its severity, or you can take them every day to prevent outbreaks in what is known as suppressive therapy.

• 4

  Be patient. Herpes outbreaks go away on their own no matter what you do. They typically last about a week, then heal without scarring. Depending on your body, another outbreak may come in a few weeks, a few decades or never.

• 5

  Strengthen your immune system to help your body help itself. Frequency of outbreaks depends on how well your immune system is able to control the virus. Give your body a boost by eating well, getting enough rest, taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements, exercising regularly and avoiding vices such as tobacco and alcohol that impede your immune function.