What is herpes? It is a virus that is normally passed through intercourse or touching. For years, medical researchers have been looking cure for herpes. Doctors nowadays provide some tips regarding how to treat herpes, home care, and safety measures on how to prevent its transmission.

What are the symptoms of herpes?

Those who are having herpes do not know that they have it. The symptoms of its initial occurrence, which usually happen two weeks after the virus has been passed, can be noticed. Skin lesions will heal within two to four weeks and other flu symptoms may develop. The only way to know if it is herpes is to get diagnosed by a health care provider or a doctor. Your doctor will perform a few tests to confirm your ailment. The tests may include viral culture, blood test, and type-specific serologic test.

Keep in mind that the symptoms of herpes differ. There are many people who are not aware that they have herpes while others have serious symptoms. The first symptoms of herpes include burning sensation during urination, burning sensation within the sex organs, low back pain, and small red bumps that develop into blisters. Other symptoms also include discharge, swollen lymph glands, fever, headache, and muscle ache.

How to treat herpes?

When dealing with herpes, self diagnosis is not good. A doctor is the one who can help you and give the recommended medications. Herpes drugs help deal with the outbreaks in order for the sores will be healed effectively and fast. In addition, right drugs will reduce the duration and severity of the outbreaks. Medicines also help reduce the regular occurrence of outbreaks. Finally, appropriate drugs lessens the chances of spreading herpes .

Are there alternatives for treating herpes?

It is very essential to take anti-viral drugs prescribed by a doctor. Prescribed drugs will help lessen the viral shedding of herpes. Alternatively, you may also take the natural treatments for herpes. Some health care providers are recommending natural alternatives due to their efficiency and affordability. These kinds of remedies are proven to be safe and have no negative effects as they are completely organic.

Medical doctors will also recommend some techniques to avoid the virus like washing your hands regularly, having enough rest, and avoiding the areas where the herpes is quite common. It is very important to have 7 to eight hours of sleep to keep your energy levels at its high state, avoid getting sick, and manage physical and emotional stress. Lastly, having a healthy diet will keep your immune system boosted to fight the potential viral outbreaks.

When Herpes Simplex Virus is on the skin of an afflicted person, it can be easily transmitted to another person through the moist skin that in the genitals, mouth, and anus. This virus can also be transmitted to another individual by other areas of our skin, also including the eyes.

An individual cannot get infected by holding things like washbasin, table, or a towel that's been used by an afflicted person.

Listed below are some ways of becoming afflicted with herpes simplex virus:

• Having genital sex with the infected individual
• Sharing of sex toys
• Having oral intercourse with a person with cold sores
• Having unsafe sexual intercourse
  

HSV simply leaves the skin before blisters show up. Herpes virus is most likely passed on to another person before blisters show up when it is noticeable and until it's totally healed. Herpes can still be passed on another individual even though there isn't any manifestation of an outbreak. However, this is less likely.

If a mother with herpes and she has cold sores while having a baby, then it's likely that the virus will be passed on to the child.

So how is genital herpes identified?

Any person having genital herpes signs must consult his or her medical doctor or consult to a health clinic. Anything that will be discussed and exposed is going to be a secret between you and the doctor. A preliminary diagnosis of herpes in the genital area is ideally be conducted by a GUM expert. However, if you cannot find one, then go to your GP because he or she can consult a professional. Before you do this, he or she will ask some questions concerning the indicators and do a test. Herpes virus is easier to diagnose when the infection is still noticeable.

A doctor will get a swab sample from the area of infection, and this may need to lightly break the blister. The swab sample will be send to the lab. If the result is negative, it doesn't imply that the person does not carry herpes. The only verification is the patient will have subsequent recurrences. Additionally, blood test can also be performed to identify an individual if he or she is infected. However, there are occasions that blood test may miss recent infections.

Genital Herpes - Detecting Recurrent Outbreaks

Any individual who has herpes recurrences should seek advice from a health care provider. The doctor will ask a few questions regarding signs or symptoms and previous bouts. He or she will figure out whether this occurrence or the previous ones may have been triggered by something like stress, sickness, or food. The doctor is going to check out the reproductive organs to find out the severity of the infection.