Genital herpes is transmitted by direct skin to skin contact during sexual activity. The most common means of transmission is the skin of the uninfected person coming into contact with sores or blisters in the genital area of the infected person through oral, vaginal or anal sex. Genital herpes is caused by two variations of the herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2, although the vast majority of herpes cases are caused by HSV-2, whereas HSV-1 is more often associated with cold sores.Genital herpes affects nearly one-fifth of the U.S. population, while oral herpes affects up to 80 percent. The most commonly known symptom of herpes is periodic outbreaks of blisters and sores in the genital area, or the area of the anus. These outbreaks generally last 2-21 days, with the first outbreak after infection usually being the most severe.

As mentioned before, many people infected with herpes are asymptomatic, making diagnosis of the disease difficult. The more people who go undiagnosed, the more likely it is that they will spread the disease to other sexual partners unwittingly. Currently, there is no cure for genital herpes, but vaccines are under development.

Familiar symptoms, different problem

Making the diagnosis problem more difficult is the fact that some of the symptoms of herpes, particularly in mild cases of genital herpes, can easily be mistaken with other illnesses such as:

Lichen planus is an illness that causes lesions or rashes, usually in the area of the mouth, but also sometimes in the genital area. The lesions in the genital area can resemble herpes symptoms. The cause of lichen planus is unknown, but the disease is not contagious. It is treated with oral steroids, immunosuppressant drugs, aloe vera and other drugs.

Atopic dermatitis is another ailment that can resemble genital herpes. Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, causes blisters with oozing and crusting, much like herpes does. Eczema is caused by a variety of factors, including skin allergies. The number of cases of eczema have increased since the beginning of the 20th century, and now about 1 to 3 percent of adults are affected by it. There are a variety of treatments for eczema, including the frequent use of moisturizers. Corticosteroid treatment is also used in severe cases of the illness. There is no cure for atopic dermatitis, but with treatment and certain lifestyle adjustments it can be minimized to reduce impact on patients’ quality of life. Some lifestyle changes for people with eczema include wearing loose fitting clothing, avoiding stress and avoiding common food allergens such as nuts, milk, cheese and anything else your health care provider has found exacerbates your eczema.

Urethritis is a painful inflammation of the urethra. People with herpes can often have urethritis as a symptom of the disease. Urethritis can also be caused by a number of factors, however, including adenovirus, Reiter’s syndrome and Isotretinoin therapy. Urethritis can cause dysuria, painful or frequent urination, which is another symptom of herpes.

Uethritis can be diagnosed with a cotton swab test. Once diagnosed, urethritis can be treated with a variety of drugs that relieve pain and inflammation.

Because of the similarities between these ailments and herpes, it’s important to get checked by a doctor for herpes if you believe you may have the disease. Health care providers can perform a number of examinations, including blood work or a culture to determine whether you have herpes or another ailment.

Testing and identification is important to stop the spread of herpes, which can make it easier for infected persons to acquire HIV, or for persons already infected with HIV to have the virus turn into AIDS more quickly. By diagnosing herpes, steps can be taken to prevent the further spread of the disease by unprotected sex or risky sexual behaviors. Suppressive therapy using antiviral drugs can also reduce the likelihood of herpes transmission.

Genital herpes is spread from direct skin to skin contact from an infected person to a non-infected person. The disease is usually spread when the infected person is going through an outbreak, which results in sores and viral shedding in the general area of the genitals, however the disease can also be spread when the infected person is asymptomatic, which can account for much of the unwitting transmission of herpes.

Genital herpes is a result of the herpes simplex virus, which comes in two variants, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-2 is usually the cause of genital herpes, while HSV- 1 is more often involved with oral herpes, or cold sores as they’re commonly known. HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes, however.

While herpes symptoms can be quite severe in some patients, in others symptoms can be minimal or none. Some patients can have the disease for decades before finding out that they have herpes. This ability of the disease to “fly under the radar” contributes to the spread of herpes.

There are a variety of symptoms associated with genital herpes. Being able to identify them will better help people to determine if they have herpes, and if so, seek treatment for the disease.

Symptoms

The earliest, and most obvious, symptom of herpes is an outbreak of blisters or bumps in the genital area. The outbreak usually develops between 2 and 21 days after the initial infection of herpes. In some cases the outbreak can be so mild it goes unnoticed, while in others the outbreak is quite severe. The outbreak manifests as small red bumps or sores in the genital area. Pain or itching around the buttocks, thighs or genital area is also quite common. The first outbreak is usually the most severe, but in some patients the first outbreak is so mild that it goes unnoticed.

Once the initial outbreak has occurred, most infected persons experience recurrences of these symptoms of about two to six times per year. Once again, some infected persons are asymptomatic, and thus do not experience outbreaks.

Other early symptoms of genital herpes include:

• Changes in appetite.
• fever
• flu-like or malaise symptoms.
• aching muscles in the buttocks, lower back, thighs or knees
• painful urination
• vaginal or penile discharge
• enlarged lymph nodes in the genital area

When an infected person is not experiencing an outbreak, the virus is said to be dormant. This means it is hiding within the nerve cells. Dormant periods can last for years.

Subsequent outbreaks tend to be much less severe than the original outbreak and last for a shorter period of time. There’s a variety of things that can trigger a recurrence of genital herpes symptoms including:

• Stress
• Trauma
• Menstruation
• Fatigue

As mentioned before, a large number of people with herpes exhibit no symptoms. Research indicates that up to 60 percent of genital herpes sufferers could be asymptomatic. That’s why a yearly STD check is encouraged, in order to reduce the number of unwitting infections that occur, and to encourage those with herpes to seek treatment.

Testing

Blood tests are the accepted general method of testing for genital herpes . The blood test can detect herpes, even if the patient is asymptomatic. When a blood test is done, a health care professional draws blood from the patient, and then examines the sample under a microscope for HSV antibodies. It’s important to note that if the infection was recent, the blood test might not pick it up, because it takes a few weeks for HSV antibodies to show up in the blood.

If you have sores on your genitals, health care professionals can take a sample from the infected area and perform a cell culture or direct fluorescent antibody test to determine whether you have herpes. These tests are also beneficial because they can determine whether you have the HSV-1 or HSV-2 variant of genital herpes.

New tests are being developed that will be able to detect the presence of herpes by means of a urine or saliva test. These tests will be helpful in providing quicker and more efficient means of testing for herpes, particularly in low-tech areas such as developing nations, where sexually transmitted diseases are a serious health problem.

This disease is transmitted via direct skin to skin contact, meaning that its spread from the site of infection to a site of contact. For example, if you have gential herpes you can give your partner herpes through vaginal, oral or anal sex.

Genital herpes infections cycle between periods when the disease is active, resulting in sores and blisters in the genital area that remain present for two to 21 days, and when the disease lies dormant and no symptoms are present. It’s during the active period that the disease is most likely to be transmitted to another sexual partner, although the disease can also be transmitted when no symptoms are present.

Because a sizable number of people who are infected with genital herpes don’t know they have the disease because they are asymptomatic or because they’ve confused their symptoms with those of another illness, herpes is all too often unknowingly spread. The first line of defense from contracting herpes is knowing whether you or your partner have herpes. Sexually active individuals, particularly those who have multiple partners, should be tested annually for herpes. Knowing you and your partners’ status regarding herpes can help you make the right decisions regarding precautions that may be needed to prevent the further spread of the illness.

Condoms can offer some protection against the transmission of genital herpes for both men and women. People who are consistent in their use of condoms report a reduced risk of contracting herpes of about 30 percent. HSV-2 is unable to pass through a latex condom, but because other parts of the genital area beside the penis may have herpes-related sores or, in the case of an uninfected male, may come into contact with areas with herpes-related sores  — such as the scrotum, upper thighs, anus, buttocks, or the general area around the penis, herpes can be spread in spite of condom use. To further prevent the spread of herpes, the use of garments that cover infected areas during sex can be a valuable preventative tool.

In oral sex, the use of dental dams can act much like condoms to help prevent transmitting herpes from the genital area of one partner to the mouth of the other.

Another way infected persons can help prevent the transmission of herpes is by using antiviral suppressive therapy. Antiviral suppressive therapy uses drugs that work to inhibit the replication of the herpes virus. Because outbreaks are reduced, blisters and shedding, which greatly contribute to the spread of herpes are also reduced, thus decreasing the chances of spreading the disease. The drug valaciclovir has been found to be effective in preventing the transmission of genital herpes when used as a suppressive therapy. According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, a once a day regimen of valaciclovir, commonly known as Valtrex, can help reduce herpes transmission rates by half.

Risk factors

Women are generally at greater risk of catching genital herpes than men. According to research, without the use of condoms or antiviral drugs, there’s about an eight to 10 percent transmission risk of spreading HSV-2 from infected men to women. The transmission risk from infected women to men is about four to five percent per year. Studies show that using condoms is more effective in preventing male to female transmission of herpes than female to male transmission of herpes.

Unborn children of mothers with herpes may be at risk of contracting herpes. The risk is more pronounced if the herpes infection was a recently acquired infection, with the first outbreak manifesting at or near the time of delivery. Antiviral drugs such as aciclovir can help reduce the risk of birth defects or herpes infection associated with the disease.

Persons with HIV are more likely to become infected with herpes than non-infected persons. HIV weakens the immune system, and makes a herpes infection more likely. Because herpes can contribute to the progression of HIV to AIDS, persons with HIV should take appropriate action to avoid being infected with this disease.

Herpes is a preventable disease if you’re armed with the appropriate knowledge and understand the right steps to take to avoid contracting the illness.

According to research by the University of Manchester and others, the version of herpes that causes cold sores may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe that treatment of the virus with aciclovir may help impede it from contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Herpes is a viral disease that mainly affects the genitals or the oral area. There are two variants of the herpes simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-2 is most commonly associated with genital herpes, though it can cause oral herpes. HSV-1 is most commonly associated with oral herpes, or cold sores as its commonly called, although it can also cause genital herpes. HSV-1 is the variant of herpes that researchers believe is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder of the brain named for noted German doctor Alois Alzheimer. The disease is estimated to affect nearly six million Americans and is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease attacks brain cells causing eventual loss of cognitive and memory function among other impairments such as changes in behavior. The disease progressively attacks the brain and eventually can be fatal.

It is believed that Alzheimer’s attacks the brain by means of developments called plaques and tangles. Plaques develop in between the nerve cells of the brain and contain proteins known as beta-amyloids. Tangles form inside dying brain cells and are essentially twisted fibers of a protein known as tau. The formation of plaques and tangles in the brain occurs normally over time, but in Alzheimer’s patients the formation of plaques and tangles are more pronounced. Plaques and tangles generally start forming in the areas of the brain devoted to learning and memory and then later spread to other parts of the brain.

Most people catch HSV-1 at some point in their lives. This infection is usually less severe than HSV-2 and causes occasional breakouts of cold sores in and around the mouth. HSV-1 can occasionally cause serious complications such as meningitis and encephalitis.

With regard to Alzheimer’s disease, HSV-1 DNA has been found to reside in the amyloid plaques that affect Alzheimer’s sufferers. According to research, about 90 percent of the plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers carry some HSV-1 DNA. This finding would suggest that HSV-1 has a major impact in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to researchers, the HSV-1 virus enters the brains of older adults as their immune systems begin to decline. Once gaining entry, the HSV-1 virus establishes a dormant infection which stress and other infections can recurrently activate. The HSV-1 flare ups in the brain causes damage to brain cells, which die and release amyloid proteins which eventually develop into plaques.

Researchers believe that antiviral agents commonly used in the treatment of HSV-1 can help mitigate the virus’ contribution to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. One particular antiviral agent that researchers believe will help in this process is aciclovir.

Aciclovir and testing for HSV-1

Aciclovir is an antiviral treatment commonly used in the treatment of herpes. Introduced in the early 1980s, aciclovir was the first antiviral drug to be used in the treatment of herpes. Aciclovir reduces HSV-1 and HSV-2 outbreaks by slowing down the disease’s replication in the body. It’s used as both a suppressive and topical treatment for herpes. Researchers believe that this will help slow or inhibit the HSV-1 virus from infecting the brain of older patients, thus reducing the creation of plaques in the brains of older patients, thus removing a contributing factor to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Because aciclovir is now available in generic form, it’s an accessible and affordable treatment option.

The key to beginning aciclovir treatment for HSV-1 is detecting the disease. Because HSV-1 symptoms tend to be much milder than those of HSV-2, many people with this form of herpes are unaware that they are infected.

HSV-1 can be detected by both blood and viral tests. If you have a sore in your mouth, there’s a good chance that you might have HSV-1, so its advisable to get tested. The tests are relatively painless and turnaround is fairly quick.

Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which comes in two varieties, HSV-1 and HSV-2. While it’s commonly believed that HSV-1 only causes oral herpes, or cold sores, the fact is that HSV-1 can cause genital herpes. HSV-1 genital herpes infections tend to have less severe symptoms than HSV-2 infections, however.

Herpes cannot currently be cured. The difficulty in curing herpes is that this viral infection can lie dormant in nerve cells, making it difficult to root out. There are many treatment options for herpes, however, and which one is right for you depends on the severity of your infection and your personal medical history and lifestyle.

Antiviral medication

Antiviral treatments are among the most popular and common treatments for herpes, and can work to both mitigate symptoms and reduce the frequency of herpes outbreaks. A herpes outbreak is the most common symptom of herpes and is characterized by the emergence of painful sores that turn to blisters in the genital area.

Antiviral medications work against herpes by disrupting viral replication. This slows down the viruses rate of replicating itself, and thus gives your body’s natural immune system a greater opportunity to intervene. The drugs depend on the viral enzyme thymidine kinase to convert the drug to monophosphate, then diphosphate and triphosphate. When this occurs in the right sequence, viral DNA replication is inhibited.

The three main antiviral treatments for genital herpes are aciclovir, valaciclovir and famciclovir. Aciclovir is the oldest of these treatments, and was introduced in the early 1980s. Because it’s available in generic brands, it’s the cheapest of these drugs. Valaciclovir and famciclovir, both more recent innovations, dissolve better in water and are more easily absorbed by the body.

Aciclovir is often used in suppressive therapy for pregnant women to prevent transmission of the disease to the unborn child. Valaciclovir and famciclovir are currently undergoing safety testing for use by pregnant women.

Famciclovir has been found to have an extremely effective use as suppressive therapy if patients begin use of the drug soon after their first infection. In fact, in patients who begin treatment with famciclovir within a few weeks after their first outbreak, a recurrence rate of less than 5 percent has been reported.

Topical treatment

There are a variety of topical treatments that can be used to relieve the symptoms of herpes during an outbreak. Docosanol is commonly used in cosmetics, but is also available as an over-the-counter drug for treatment of oral herpes treatments. For genital herpes treatments, Abreva is an over-the-counter topical treatment that can shorten the length of oral herpes outbreaks. Aciclovir, famiciclovir and valaciclovir also are used in topical form to treat herpes symptoms.

Pain relievers and other drugs

Research has shown that patients with recurrent herpes outbreaks can benefit by taking a daily dose of low-dose aspirin. This is because aspirin reduces the level of prostaglandins that contribute to the inflammation that herpes outbreaks cause. Other drugs, such as cimetidine and probenecid have also been found to help facilitate the effectiveness of valaciclovir.

Natural and alternative treatments

Research has shown that some herbal and other alternative treatments can have a positive impact on people infected with herpes. Research has shown that certain dietary adjustments and supplements can be beneficial, when taken in conjunction with the appropriate antiviral treatments.  Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, and garlic have been found to be an effective supplement to help control herpes when taken with antiviral treatments. Aloe vera has been found to be an effective topical treatment for mitigating the symptoms of herpes outbreaks.

Home remedies that have been shown to have a positive impact on reducing symptoms during herpes outbreaks include wearing loose-fitting clothing and avoiding excessive heat.

Avoid bogus “cures”

While there are many Internet sites claiming to have a cure for herpes, the truth is that at this time medical science has no cure for this sexually transmitted disease. Claims of a cure are, at this time, completely false. People with herpes should concentrate on effective treatments for this illness, rather than pursuing the false hope peddled by snake oil salesmen.

Herpes may be with you for life, but it doesn’t have to ruin your life. By embracing appropriate treatment and sticking to it, infected persons can mitigate the impact of herpes on their quality of life.

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that comes in two varieties, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 generally effects the oral area, although it can occasionally impact the genital area. HSV-2 primarily impacts the genital area and is generally considered the more problematic of the two varieties of herpes. HSV-1 and HSV-2 can both impact the genital area, and symptoms related to genital herpes include blisters or sores in the genital area. These sores generally present themselves in an initial outbreak shortly after the infected person contracts herpes. Some infected persons have subsequent outbreaks, but these outbreaks tend to be less severe than the original.

Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 have been linked to increasing the chances that infected persons my contract HIV, although HSV-2 seems to be more of a factor in increasing risk of HIV infection. HIV, of course, is a sexually transmitted immunodeficiency virus that negatively impacts the body’s ability to fight off infections.  Once the body’s ability to fight illness is sufficiently compromised, the HIV infection is classified as AIDS. AIDS has been responsible for millions of deaths worldwide, as infected persons immune systems are unable to fight off other opportunistic infections.

Research indicates that genital herpes increases the risk of being infected with HIV, particularly during a herpes outbreak. A herpes outbreak is when the disease causes an eruption of blisters and sores in the genital area. When a person infected with genital herpes has an outbreak, that person’s immune system tries to heal the sores, thus concentrating many immune cells in one spot. These are the cells that HIV commonly infects. If, during sexual intercourse, blood, vaginal fluid or semen from a person infected with AIDS comes in contact with a herpes sore, the person with herpes runs a high risk of contracting HIV. Conversely, a person infected with HIV and herpes runs a larger risk of infecting his or her partner because sores may increase the partner’s exposure to the blood of the infected person.

People infected with HIV run a higher risk of being infected with herpes than the general population because of their weakened immune state as a result of the disease.

Herpes and HIV

If you have herpes and HIV, you can suffer from some very serious complications. According to research, herpes can worsen HIV, and vice versa. Studies show that active herpes infections can speed up the process of replication of the HIV virus. This means that the HIV will make copies of itself more quickly, destroying more of the body’s disease-fighting cells and hastening the onset of AIDS.

With regard to herpes, HIV can lead to more frequent and serious outbreaks. This happens because HIV weakens the immune system of the infected person, making outbreaks of herpes more likely, and limiting the body’s ability to quickly heal the sores and otherwise mitigate the effects of the virus.

A combination of HIV and herpes also raises some pretty significant treatment problems. For people with HIV and herpes, higher doses of antiviral drugs will be needed to treat herpes than those for people with just herpes. Compounding the problem is the fact that many people with HIV and herpes have strains of herpes that do not respond well to the usual antiviral drugs used to treat herpes.

Herpes treatments such as aciclovir have been shown to have an impact on slowing the replication of HIV. It is important to note, however, that herpes suppressive therapy does not lower chances of HIV infection, beyond removing some of the added risk involved with frequent herpes outbreaks.

One important way HIV and herpes infections can be reduced is by regular STD checks. Because both of these diseases can be asymptomatic for quite some time, people can go for years without knowing that they’re infected with one or the other. This increases the chances that these unknowingly infected persons can infect others. Frequent testing will keep people informed of their status with regard to HIV and herpes, and hopefully if people find out they have HIV, herpes or both, they’ll take steps to treat their illness and prevent it from spreading to others.

Because of the serious complications HIV and herpes can have when both are present, people with these diseases should consult carefully with their health care providers to manage their illnesses and prevent their further spread.

The herpes simplex virus comes in two varieties, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 tends to be the milder variant of the virus and usually causes blisters in the oral area. HSV-2 is known for having more severe symptoms and usually infects the genital area, causing painful blisters and sores. One common misconception many people have about herpes is that HSV-1 only infects the oral region. In fact HSV-1 can also infect the genital region, and because of its usually less severe symptoms, is usually not noticed by infected persons, thus facilitating its spread to others.

The two variations of herpes simplex are a lot more alike than most people know. When examined under a microscope, the two variants of herpes simplex are extremely similar, sharing about half of their DNA. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 infect the mucosal surfaces of the body, usually around the mouth or the gentials, and thus take up residence in the nervous system. In both variants of herpes, nearly 66 percent of infected persons are asymptomatic, or have symptoms that are too mild to notice or are confused with other problems.

The main difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2 is their site of preference. HSV-1, in most cases, establishes latency in a grouping of nerve cells near the patient’s ear known as the trigeminal ganglion. In the case of HSV-2, the virus usually takes up residence at the base of the spine in a nerve cluster known as the sacral ganglion.

HSV-1

HSV-1 most commonly causes blisters on the lips and is colloquially referred to as cold sores. Contrary to popular belief, however, HSV-1 can also infect the genitals. Symptoms of an HSV-1 infection of the genitals tend to be less severe, causing many infected persons to never realize that they are infected unless they are tested.

While symptoms of HSV-1 tend to be less severe, HSV-1 is more widespread than HSV-2 — it’s estimated that nearly 60 percent of the population has it — and can have some very serious complications. In some cases where HSV-1 has become latent in the trigeminal ganglion, the virus can cause inflammations in the eye that can lead to blindness. HSV-1 is a leading cause of fatal sporadic encephalitis. This is a swelling of the brain that proves fatal. The chances of contracting this ailment are rare, but in the vast majority of fatal sporadic encephalitis, HSV-1 is the cause.

HSV-1 is more easily spread than HSV-2, and it’s estimated that 90 percent of the population will have HSV-1 antibodies in their bloodstream by late middle age. Oral HSV-1 is the easiest way to get herpes. It’s typically spread by social kisses, such as one an aunt or uncle might give a child. Children are particularly susceptible to herpes because they have little immune defense against it.

In genital infections of HSV-1, many infected persons never experience another outbreak after the initial outbreak. Again, this may lead some people to believe that they do not have herpes or lead them to confuse their symptoms with another ailment.

HSV-2

HSV-2 is what most people refer to as genital herpes. Common belief says that HSV-2 is the more serious version of herpes, but as mentioned before, HSV-1 is more widespread than this variant and has some very serious complications. Nevertheless, symptoms of HSV-2 tend to be much more frequently occurring and severe.

About a fifth of Americans have HSV-2. It is acquired through sexual contact, and most infected persons contract it in their late teens and early 20s.

Unlike HSV-1, HSV-2 does not tend to impact other parts of the body. Those infections of HSV-2 that do occur outside the virus’ usual area of preference very rarely cause problems. Symptoms of HSV-2 consist of painful bumps and sores in the genital area, and occasional fever and flu-like symptoms. HSV-2 outbreaks tend to be more frequent and severe than HSV-1 outbreaks. Most infected persons who suffer outbreaks tend to suffer about four to six outbreaks per year.

One particular problem associated with HSV-2 is the danger it poses to unborn children. Pregnant women infected with herpes run a risk of transmitting the disease to their unborn children. The virus may also cause birth defects, particularly if the infection is a recent one. Health care providers generally treat pregnant women with an antiviral medication to reduce the chance of negative impacts of their herpes affecting unborn children.

While HSV-1 and HSV-2 differ in severity and other aspects, both are health problems that the general public should be aware of in order to take precautions against the further spread of herpes and its associated health problems.

According to experts, the use of suppressive therapy to treat herpes can reduce the number of outbreaks by up to 80 percent. For people suffering from frequent or severe outbreaks of herpes, this news is extremely heartening.

There’s no magic number of outbreaks per year that health care providers use to determine when a patient should use suppressive therapy. The criteria for suppressive therapy generally entail how often the outbreaks occur and what impact they have in the patient’s ability to enjoy his or her life.

Here are some common antiviral drugs used in suppressive therapy for herpes:

Aciclovir is similar to valaciclovir. Like valaciclovir, aciclovir reduces the frequency of outbreaks and can reduce the window of time in which the patient is infectious to others. When used as a suppressive treatment, aciclovir is taken two-four times daily. Like valaciclovir, aciclovir can cause some mild side effects including nausea and diarrhea.

Aciclovir is currently used by about 30 million people worldwide, and has a good track record of safety. It was the first antiviral drug approved for the treatment of herpes, gaining approval in the 1980s. It’s also the cheapest and most readily available. Studies researching its effectiveness in reducing the chance of people infected with herpes catching HIV have had mixed to negative results.

Valaciclovir, commonly know as Valtrex, is an antiviral drug used in various treatments for herpes. When used as an episodic treatment, this drug helps sores heal faster and reduces the time period in which symptoms are painful. Also, it can help cut the time window in which the disease can be transmitted to a patient’s sexual partner. Episodic treatment is when you only treat the symptoms when they occur. Suppressive therapy is when you take steps to prevent occurrences.

When used as a suppressive treatment, valaciclovir is taken once or twice daily. Taking the drug can help reduce herpes outbreaks by up to 85 percent. Like any drug, valaciclovir has side effects. These side effects include nausea or headache, but in general side effects of valaciclovir tend to be mild.

Just because your partner is using valaciclovir doesn’t mean that you should stop using condoms during sexual intercourse. Valaciclovir can reduce the chance of spreading herpes, but the risk remains substantial. Consider it a secondary line of defense, with condoms being the first. This rule should apply for all other suppressive therapies as well.

Famciclovir is also used in both episodic and suppressive therapy. When used in suppressive therapy, patients take the drug up to twice per day to treat recurrent outbreaks. Side effects of famciclovir include headache and nausea.

All three of these treatments for genital herpes have good safety records. When determining what drug to use for suppressive therapy, health care providers take into account various factors such as medical history, allergies and effectiveness of the drug. A key benefit of valaciclovir is that it is more easily absorbed into the blood than the other drugs, requiring fewer doses than the other treatments. This may be beneficial for busy or forgetful patients.

When starting suppressive therapy, you should consult frequently with your doctor concerning the efficacy of the treatment, and how well you’re tolerating the side effects.

Because of the health risks herpes poses to unborn children, aciclovir is commonly prescribed to pregnant women who are infected with herpes. Tests have shown that the drugs risks to unborn children are minimal, and the benefits of using this drug far outweigh the risks posed by herpes. The drug has also been found to be safe for use during breast feeding.

Finding out you have herpes can be an extremely disturbing incident, but there is hope for people who have this unfortunate illness. Suppressive therapy is one of the best of these hopes, allowing infected persons to reduce their chances of having an outbreak, their chances of infecting another person, their chances of catching another STD and mitigating the very unpleasant symptoms of this illness.

Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex 1 and herpes simplex 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) viruses, with the HSV-2 variant usually being the more severe form of the virus. While the symptoms of herpes can be quite severe, in most cases they’re not and many people infected with the virus have no idea that they’ve contracted it because of the mildness of their symptoms, and because it’s easy to confuse them with other ailments. Also, male and female herpes symptoms can be somewhat different, adding to the confusion.

Recognizing herpes symptoms is vital to preventing the spread of this illness, which can make one more susceptible to other, more serious STDs such as HIV, and because of the threat it can pose to unborn children.

Herpes in men

When most infected people contract herpes, they experience an outbreak in the genital area. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, it’s easy to mistake herpes for a rash or other skin condition. Herpes symptoms in men usually initially present with an uncomfortable tingling or itching in the genital or anal area. The infected area may also become swollen and produce red bumps on the buttocks, anus or penis. These bumps will eventually turn into blisters and then become open sores. The healing process from this outbreak begins when the sores eventually start to scab over.

The initial outbreak of herpes is usually the most severe, but some patients may have severe outbreaks after as many as 40 years after their initial outbreak.

There are a variety of other herpes symptoms in men. Burning during urination is one symptom of herpes that can be quite common among men. This occurs if the sores caused by the herpes outbreak become ulcers. Swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever and fatigue can also be other symptoms of herpes.

Herpes in women

In women, herpes symptoms are somewhat different. Women are much more likely than men to develop herpes symptoms other than the initial outbreak of blisters in the genital area. When women have a herpes outbreak, symptoms include blisters in various parts of the genital area, including the vulva, inside the vagina, the urethra and the cervix. Outbreaks in women tend to last longer than those in men, and also tend to be more infectious. Like men, women can also experience blisters from herpes in the area of the anus and buttocks.

As mentioned before, women tend to suffer more from the other symptoms of herpes than men. In fact, about 40 percent of men and 70 percent of women experience symptoms of herpes other than blisters and lesions. A flu-like illness that accompanies the initial outbreak of herpes is among these other symptoms. Also women are more likely to experience burning during urination than men. Also, like men, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever and fatigue can also be other symptoms of herpes.

Although women often have more severe herpes symptoms than men, their symptoms can be easily confused with other problems such as yeast infection, cervicitis or pelvic inflammatory disease. Also, herpes lesions on the urethra may be mistaken for a bladder dysfunction or urinary tract infection. Because herpes symptoms usually go away after a few days or weeks, many women may not go to a health care provider for testing, and as a result, never find out that they have herpes.

People who think that they may have herpes should visit a health care provider as soon as possible. A simple blood test can determine whether the patient is infected with herpes. While a diagnosis of herpes can be very upsetting to patients, the illness is very treatable and with the appropriate care, people infected with herpes can lead healthy and satisfying lives. Suppressive therapy can minimize outbreaks and mitigate their severity, and other home care options such as avoiding heat, wearing loose fitting clothes and avoiding the use of scented soaps can help with herpes symptoms.

The rate of herpes infection among Americans has decreased in recent years thanks to increased awareness and testing and the use of suppressive therapy. Understanding the symptoms of herpes can help infected persons take action to prevent spreading the illness to non-infected persons and help non-infected persons avoid having unprotected sex with people who have herpes.

Herpes is, at present, incurable, but it is a highly treatable ailment. Most treatments involve the use of antibiotics that shorten the length of outbreaks and mitigate their severity. Daily suppressive therapy is also often used to prevent passing the illness to sexual partners. The use of daily suppressive therapy has become more common in America, and can be credited in part with decreasing rates of herpes among the population.

While herpes is treatable it does have a number of complications that can be detrimental to the patient’s overall health, and if the patient is a pregnant female, can also be dangerous to the unborn child.

Other STDs

One of the main complications of herpes is that it can put you at greater risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, including the AIDS virus. The risk of passing these diseases to others also increases for patients with herpes.

According to a recent study, the immune system cells most commonly infected by HIV are present in greater numbers at the site of a herpes infection, even well after sores from the infection have healed. Suppressive treatments such as acylovir do not reduce the concentration of highly susceptible cells near the site of the infection. Because of this, people with herpes should be aware of their increased risk of catching HIV and take the necessary preventative steps to avoid contracting the illness.

Pregnancy

Herpes poses a significant risk to unborn and newborn babies. Herpes can increase a pregnant mother’s chance of miscarriage or the risk of the child being born with birth defects such as eye, brain and spinal cord abnormalities. The chance of a mother transmitting herpes to her unborn child is relatively low — about 1 to 2 percent. The risk of complications is higher and runs highest among women who are experiencing their first outbreak of herpes at their due date. Mothers who have herpes for a longer time transmit antibodies to their children in the womb which help to guard against the child being infected with herpes. Antiviral medication may help mothers with newer cases prevent infecting their children.

Pregnant women who have herpes or think they may have herpes should consult closely with their health care provider to prevent infecting their unborn children. Infected male partners of pregnant women should take extra precautions to prevent infecting their partners.

Meningitis

In some cases, herpes can cause the spinal cord to become inflamed, increasing the patient’s risk of contracting meningitis or encephalitis. Herpes encephalitis is extremely rare, but can be fatal. Herpes meningitis is not usually serious, but runs an increased risk of being recurrent.

Also, herpes can cause urinary retention in some female patients. Urinary retention is basically the inability to urinate. Typical urinary retention cases consist of a weak urinary stream with intermittent flow. People with urinary retention also often must strain to urinate and are often left with a sense of incomplete urination even after they are able to urinate. As the bladder remains full because of urinary retention, other problems such as incontinence and nocturnia may occur.

Proctitis

Proctitis is a complication of herpes that occurs in men, particularly men who have sex with men. Proctitis is an inflammation of the rectum. Symptoms of this ailment are frequent anal bleeding, a feeling of having to constantly need to defecate, diarrhea and painful bowel movements. Proctitis can cause complications such as anemia, ulcers and fistulas.

Treatments for herpes and responsible sexual behavior can reduce infected persons chances of developing herpes or passing it to others. Because of the complications associated with herpes, and the incurability of this illness, you should take steps to avoid contracting the virus, or, if you’re infected, passing it to others. Precautions to prevent the spread of herpes include: using condoms, avoiding promiscuous or anonymous sex, using suppressive therapy if you are infected with herpes and being honest with sexual partners regarding herpes if you’re infected.