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Social Issues Regarding Herpes

August 31st, 2010 No comments

All sexually transmitted infections have a negative effect in  the  eyes of society. Individuals having these kinds of infections are given a stigma and most people often reject them. This can also be true with someone  having a herpes infection. Because of its nature of  transmission  and  the  kind of infection, most people keep their distance from  others  who  are  known to have a herpes infection.

This reaction can deeply wound the self confidence of an individual making it harder for them to cope with their condition.  Herpes is transmitted through direct skin  to  skin  contact.  The  risk of acquiring a herpes infection is much greater  when  you  have  multiple sex partners, but it only takes one unprotected encounter  for  you  to develop the condition. Most people would think that if  you  contract herpes,  then you are promiscuous.

This is usually not the case.  An individual who is faithful to  their  partner  who  has  herpes  may  contract it from them.  Although the risk may be higher in having multiple sexual  partners, the risk of acquiring herpes is just as high even if you only have a single sexual partner  who  has  the  infection  already.  The  risk  can  even be increased if your partner has no knowledge that he has the condition.

Being unaware does not prompt you  to  take  certain  actions  in preventing  the disease.  Emotional and social support is vital for people  who  have  the infection. This allows them to cope with  their  condition  better.  The  best  way to acquire support is to find people who may have the same condition with you. There is a significant decrease in the risk that  you  may  be  rejected by people who have the same condition as you.

You would not be  faced  with matters like having to feel guilty about having the  condition  because you know they would understand you, as they have undergone  similar experiences as well.

For more information about this topic, please read about what does herpes look like and yeast infection treatment.

Herpes Outbreaks: A Must Read Article!

February 6th, 2010 No comments

Herpes outbreaks can be a painful and embarrassing part of life. However, with a little knowledge outbreaks can be stopped outright or at least have the worst of the symptoms minimized. The herpes virus can be best understood through a discussion of the life cycle of HSV2 and what happens during a herpes outbreak.

HSV2 is spread through sexual activity or contact. After you have contracted HSV2, it can lie dormant in the ganglia at the base of your spine for months or even years. Some people never experience the symptoms of herpes. When the HSV2 is dormant in your body, it is undetectable by your immune system and is thus impossible to ever completely eliminate. There is no cure for genital herpes.

After the virus is activated (and science is not exactly sure what activates the symptoms of genital herpes; possible suggestions are unresolved anger, high levels of stress, exposure to ultraviolet light, and/or decreased immunity), it will start traveling along nerve paths in your genital area and begin the process of what may become a full herpes outbreak. Initial symptoms at the outbreak site can be tingling, slight burning and intense itching.

Your immune system will sense the virus in your body and begin to fight it almost immediately. You can know this to be true by the immune fighting responses your body will experience, such as swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, headaches, and possibly fever. Often (with a little boost) your immunity can abort the attack or the severity of the herpes outbreak can be decreased. A few recommended immune supplements would be Vitamin C, zinc, oil of oregano and/or panax ginseng.

You can expect a cluster of blisters, a rash, or a single sore or lesion should the HSV2 virus develop into a full outbreak. Possible pain or swelling is also reported. Experience has told us that herpes outbreaks are rarely the same between carriers, and that symptoms can drastically differ between both duration and intensity of symptoms. Itching and burning are the two most commonly reported symptoms.

As the outbreak starts to heal you will feel a lessening in symptoms (swelling, pain, redness) and a crust may form over the sore or outbreak to protect the new skin forming underneath. It is important to let the outbreak heal on its own and not to interfere in anyway. It is very rare for any scarring or residual effects to linger after the complete healing of a herpes outbreak.

Learn more about the symptoms and treatment for a herpes outbreak. Stop by Nanci Elliott’s site where you can find out all about the best and most effectiveherpes treatment available.

Understanding the Various Herpes Viruses

February 3rd, 2010 No comments

Becoming infected with a herpes virus is one of the last things a person wants to happen. Yet, with a breed of insidious viruses that travel so easily and so rapidly through the population, it can be hard to avoid. A brush up against the arm of a person who has shingles herpes can cause a person who has never had chickenpox to suddenly come down with it. Unprotected sex with an infected partner could leave a person with a sexually transmitted disease for the rest of his or her life. In this article, you’ll learn a little about this mysterious type of virus and how to treat it.

The frightening thing about shingles herpes, genital herpes and oral herpes is that once you’ve got it, you’re stuck with it. While there are treatments and pain medicine options aimed at soothing an acute outbreak, the virus still lies dormant in the cells for years and years. Currently, researchers are learning more about how killer T-cells get inadvertently “turned off” by this family of viruses — not to mention HIV, another immune-attacking virus.

The herpes virus is known for its ability to dodge the immune system and remain in the body for extended periods of time. Shingles herpes, like cold sores and genital herpes, encodes a protein that mimics Human Interleukin-10, which the body recognizes as a safe component. The virus will also deregulate the Major Histocompatibility Complex I and II in cells that are infected. Basically, in layman’s terms, the herpes zoster virus suppresses cell-initiated immune response and inhibits the activation of natural killer cells.

Currently, there is no cure for the herpes family of viruses, although doctors say the following tips can help. Over-the-counter aspirin or ibuprofen can sometimes alleviate some of the other symptoms that come along with shingles herpes or herpes simplex. For chickenpox or shingles, an antivirus should be administered within 72 hours of noticing the painful rash.

Similarly, there are many products on the market targeting cold sore herpes, such as Denavir, Zovirax, Famvir and Valtrex. It’s always best to speak with a doctor before self-medicating.

Shingles is a very painful medical condition, and there is a lot of information that is not known about this disease. If you need help understanding what this disease is and how to get effective treatment for shingles pain, visit the Shingles Disease site for answers to your questions.