Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. The areas of the body that are affected by the virus include, but are not limited to, the cervix, genitals, and the skin. This is a chronic condition. Some people who carry the virus don't display the symptoms of the virus. The periods of remission associated with this virus increase over time. Also, the severity of the symptoms tends to see a decrease with time.

Natural supplements can be a huge help in curbing the amount and longevity of herpes outbreaks. Try taking lysine, zinc and vitamin C supplements daily. These supplements are known virus fighters, and many people have had great success in reducing outbreaks with these three immune boosters.Stress is another major trigger for outbreak severity and frequency, so try to eliminate as much stress as possible from your life, and you'll be taking a large step toward controlling the genital herpes simplex virus. This can mean re-evaluating your lifestyle, home life, and work or career options, but you'll find if you have the courage to make these changes, your dealings with herpes will become much easier.

There are a few options that may be presented to you. The first your doctor will likely recommend is anti-viral therapy. As herpes simplex is a virus, antibiotics are useless against it. This may seem daunting and scary, but this is why suppressive anti-viral therapy exists, and is generally the most effective herpes simplex treatment. While the virus may be in the body for life, it can be controlled and suppressed, and after determining an effective treatment, many people experience very few or even no symptoms or outbreaks afterwards. Those who still experience outbreaks will find their symptoms drastically reduced, healing time sped up significantly, and the time between outbreaks becoming longer and longer as they take the anti-virals.

If you do have herpes then there is some good news. While the disease is incurable, it is treatable. There are several treatments available for genital herpes. Some of them help to prevent outbreaks and some of them can help alleviate the symptoms of an outbreak. Of course before you decide on your treatment plan you should discuss it with your doctor.Remember that no matter what treatment you decide to use, you should discuss it with a medical professional first. Your doctor will be able to tell you the best course of treatment for your personal needs.

Causes

Genital herpes is a common infection in the U.S. today. It is a sexually transmitted disease which is more common in women than in men. The causes of genital herpes is the herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2. Virus 1 is what usually forms on the mouth in the form of cold sores or fever blisters. Virus 2 is what is passed on to the genital areas.A person can have the virus and not know it, so passing it on to others goes unnoticed until the outbreak occurs. When an outbreak of herpes occurs, there is usually a blister that forms on or around the genital area and possibly the rectal area. When the blister ruptures, it becomes similar to an ulcer and can be very painful or uncomfortable.

The presence of HSV on the facade of the skin is enough to be transmitted to a partner. This virus is transmitted easily through the moist parts of the skin like the anus, genitals and the mouth. In a few cases, there are chances of getting infected even through other parts of the body like the skin or the eyes, which would be affected by 'Herpes Simplex'.These symptoms generally tend to last for about twenty days. In case of recurrent infections the symptoms would be again ulceration and blisters on the cervix in case of women, red blisters which are painful and a burning or tingling feeling in the area surrounding the genitals before the appearance of the blister. These symptoms tend to last for about seven to ten days.

Treatments

There are a few options that may be presented to you. The first your doctor will likely recommend is anti-viral therapy. As herpes simplex is a virus, antibiotics are useless against it. This may seem daunting and scary, but this is why suppressive anti-viral therapy exists, and is generally the most effective herpes simplex treatment. While the virus may be in the body for life, it can be controlled and suppressed, and after determining an effective treatment, many people experience very few or even no symptoms or outbreaks afterwards. Those who still experience outbreaks will find their symptoms drastically reduced, healing time sped up significantly, and the time between outbreaks becoming longer and longer as they take the anti-virals.

The second stage of genital herpes is the active phase where small herpes bumps or sores will be present on the mucous membranes of the genital area. A larger single sore or blister is also possible. The outbreak and surrounding area can be extremely painful at this time. Excessive redness and swelling are common. It is best to keep the outbreak clean and dry and to wear loose clothing (and cotton underwear!). There are several remedies for relief including breaking open a wet black tea bag and applying the leaves to the exposed outbreak. A few drops of tea tree oil in olive oil can also help reduce pain and swelling.

The treatment of genital herpes can be quite confusing. There is a tremendous amount of information available both on the internet and in print, and it can be difficult to separate which treatments have promise from the completely ineffective. Currently the only FDA approved medications for the treatment of herpes are sold under the brand names: Zovirax, Famvir, and Valtrex.