Topical herpes treatment over the counter, alternative cancer treatments - PDF Review

Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches (especially in the back and neck), and swollen glands. If you get diagnosed with herpes, talk to your doctor about medical-strength treatment options.
Initial treatment: after you are diagnosed with herpes, your doctor will prescribe a brief trial (7 to 10 days) of antiviral drugs. Intermittent treatment: if you experience outbreaks seldom, or at irregular times, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for you to use when outbreaks do occur.
Regular treatment: If you have regular outbreaks totaling more than six a year, talk to your doctor about taking antiviral medication every day. If your ulcers are very painful, ask a physician about a topical anesthetic to apply to affected areas. As soon as you have been diagnosed with herpes, inform your sexual partners of your infection and recommend that they also get tested. If you are experiencing a widespread, severe outbreak of HSV sores, you may need to be admitted to a hospital for intravenous medication and professional topical treatment of your blisters.
Individuals with herpes can transmit the virus even when there are no visible symptoms or sores. Meet Colie, a wikiHow Admin, New Article Booster, Welcomer, and Featured Author from the US who has been part of the community for over five years.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a distressing skin rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Stage 1 (before the rash): itchiness, tingling, numbness or pain develops in the area where the rash will eventually develop. Topical anesthetics, including benzocaine (available OTC) and lidocaine patches (available by prescription only).
People who have never had chickenpox or shingles should avoid getting the vaccine, instead opting for the varicella vaccine.
Always, always, always wash your towels after you use them, especially when you have shingles. Keep in mind that this doesn't make the shingles go away -- but it will make you feel a whole lot better.
Has ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic neomycin, gelatin, or any other component of the shingles vaccine. A history of cancer affecting the lymphatic system or bone marrow, such as lymphoma or leukemia.
The virus can be spread from a person with shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox if they come into direct contact with the rash.
Meet Matt, a wikiHowian from Canada who has been active in the wikiHow community for 4 years. In the United States alone, the CDC estimates that a quarter of a million people get new herpes infections every year.[1] Unfortunately, there is yet no cure for herpes. With a sexually transmitted infection like herpes, you don't want to rely on self-diagnosis. Antiviral drugs lessen the number of herpes outbreaks by reducing what's called "viral shedding," or the process by which the virus makes new copies of itself on the skin's surface.[3] Regular use of antiviral drugs also helps lower the risk that you'll pass the herpes simplex virus on to other sexual partners.
If 10 days' worth of antiviral medication does not help manage the outbreak, your doctor may continue your course of treatment for a few more days.


Having several days' worth of antiviral medication on hand will allow you to start a course of drugs as soon as the outbreak happens, minimizing its severity and duration. Doctors sometimes recommend soaking in warm water to relieve itching, pain, or discomfort associated with herpes outbreaks. If toweling the area dry after stepping out of the bath is uncomfortable, use a hair drier instead.
Although topical treatments are generally less effective than systemic treatments, they can sometimes be used to treat pain or discomfort. In its natural state, propolis is resinous material collected from the buds of poplar trees, although it is often harvested from beehives.
Prunella vulgaris and Rozites caperata have both shown some promise in fighting herpes.[6][7] Prunella vulgaris can be used in a hot water treatment to soothe and heal sores, while Rozites caperata may be ingested to help treat sores. Baking soda is another time-tested substance for anything from smelly fridges to smelly underarms, as well as a toothpaste and acne treatment. Lysine is an essential amino acid that does a number of things for the human body (absorb calcium, form collagen, and produce carnitine, among others). Aloe vera may be beneficial in healing herpes lesions, especially among men.[10] Applying the aloe vera cream to the lesions, and drying thoroughly afterward, may reduce the duration of the outbreak.
You may wish to consult a herbalist about the possibility of finding an herbal solution to herpes. Taking care of yourself physically and emotionally may help you reduce the frequency of outbreaks. Viral shedding of herpes may happen over the entire genital area, making transmission even likelier. It is crucial to use synthetic protection during all sexual contact to avoid transmission of the virus, even during outbreak-free periods.
She loves to write articles (she has started 55 of them herself!), fix grammar mistakes, organize and revamp articles, and help other wikiHowians. After a person gets the chickenpox virus, that virus will stay with them, sometimes resulting in outbreaks of a rash and blisters. Knowing the symptoms of each stage can help you doctor evaluate how to best treat your case.
Although you should never let shingles go untreated, there are a number of things you can do at home to combine with doctor's orders.
Afterward, dissolve some aluminum acetate (Domeboro) in water and apply using a moist compress to the rash.
Ask your pharmacist to mix together 78% calamine lotion with 20% rubbing alcohol, 1% phenol, and 1% menthol.[4] Apply this salve to your blisters until they scab over. This condition is called herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and it potentially threatens the eyesight if left untreated. If you have already been exposed to chickenpox and are concerned about getting shingles, or want to make a possible shingles episode less painful, consider getting the shingles vaccine. In lukewarm water (not cold or hot), the oatmeal or starch will provide you a soothing, silkening feeling.
Normal lotions -- especially those that are scented -- could just make the situation worse.
Women should not become pregnant until at least three months after getting the shingles vaccine.

Shingles vaccine was recently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to reduce the risk of shingles in people 60 years old or older. He’s an Admin, New Article Booster, and Featured Author, and he has started 25 articles and reviewed over 82,000 edits on the wiki for accuracy and helpfulness.
On the other hand, herpes can be treated and managed with medication, home care, and simple precautions to prevent outbreaks and transmission. You may find that aluminum acetate (Domeboro) or magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) help relieve the affected area, although these are not doctor-recommended treatments. Restrictive clothing and synthetic pantyhose, underwear, or pants can aggravate genital herpes symptoms, as these synthetic materials tend not to breathe as well as fabrics like cotton.
Baking soda can help dry out moist or oozing lesions, thereby helping them disappear faster. In the case of herpes, lysine may help to prevent an outbreak by blocking arginine, which helps in herpes replication.[9] Still, the clinical trials using lysine have been mixed, and scientists believe that lysine is better at preventing an outbreak than treating one. Staying fit can help you avoid illness and protect your immune system, which may help prevent herpes outbreaks. If you're worried about transmitting the virus to your sexual partner, only have sex between outbreaks, always using a condom.
Keeping your immune system at its full capacity is important for maintaining an outbreak-free lifestyle with herpes. If a rash develops around the eyes, see a doctor immediately.[1] The rash and blisters are sometimes accompanied by intense stinging pain. The vaccine is marketed under the name Zostavax, and adults 50 and older can receive one shot, whether or not they have had shingles before. While you probably shouldn't spend the afternoon rubbing peppers on yourself, you might find relief in using a cream that contains it. He likes reviewing recent changes, improving or "boosting" new articles, doing “wikiGnome” tasks where he helps out behind the scenes, and taking “wiki walks.” The first article he started, which earned a Rising Star, was How to Organize an iPod Touch, and his favorite article he’s worked on has been How to Become a Psychiatrist.
Then, on an intermittent or regular basis, drugs are also prescribed, depending on the severity of the outbreaks and the patient's individual needs. As a dry agent, baking soda is clean and absorbent, though still not a doctor-recommended treatment option. Many herbs mentioned in Ayurveda, have been used for thousands of years to soothe the burning, itching and the tingling sensation. She says that she’s learned communication and coaching skills through wikiHow, and enjoys the instant gratification of improving something and being productive online. He’s proud of earning his Booster rights two years ago, and he loves the sense of collaboration on wikiHow. Herbs such as Chandana (Santalum album), Devadaru (Cedrus devdar), Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Ficus group plants like Ficus bengalenis and sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), Sariva (Hemidesmus Indicus), Utpala (lotus), Yesthimadu (Glycirhiza glabra), are well known for their cooling powers on the skin. A mixture of the aforementioned herbs in equal proportions can be prepared and used in the following manner to help soothe Herpes ulcers and blisters.

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