How to Treat Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus, the same type of virus that causes cold sores. Genital herpes is acquired through sexual contact and can produce painful sores around the genitals, buttocks, thighs and anus. There is no cure for the disease, but there are some ways diminish its symptoms and duration.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aspirins
• Blow Dryers
• Sunscreen

1. Keep the infected area clean and dry. This step will help prevent other infections from developing.

2. Avoid touching genital lesions to reduce the likelihood that the virus will spread.

3. Wash your hands after contact with the sores to avoid spreading the virus.

4. Avoid sexual contact as soon as you feel any symptoms. Do not resume sexual contact until the sores are completely healed.

5. Understand that your sores have completely healed when the scabs have fallen off and new skin covers the sores.

6. Avoid the sun. When you are in the sun, use a sunblock. Ultraviolet rays have been known to trigger outbreaks of herpes.

7. Ask your doctor about acyclovir to treat genital herpes.

8. Consider a prescription of famciclovir to help prevent future herpes outbreaks.

9. Take aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with the accompanying pain of herpes. Unfortunately, analgesics will not help sores heal faster.

10. Practice good health habits - avoid stress, eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest. Not doing so may make you more vulnerable to recurrent attacks.

Tips & Warnings

• For more information about genital herpes, call the National Herpes Hotline at [phone].
• The herpes virus will remain in certain nerve cells throughout your body for life and in some people will cause periodic flare-ups for many years.
• Use a hair dryer to dry open, weeping sores after washing them.
• If urinating causes your sores to sting, pour warm water over the sores as you urinate. You may find it is less painful to urinate in the shower or bathtub.
• Genital herpes increases the risk of contracting HIV by providing an open sore through which HIV can enter the bloodstream.

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on 11/22/2005 Take a zinc tablet every day...It can reduce the number of episodes from several per year to rarely, if at all!

on 11/22/2005 If you have a hand held shower nozzle, that will work well. And then dry the area with a hair dryer. Hopefully the pain will subside a little.

on 11/22/2005 The best thing I can tell anyone with genital herpes is to take a bath in warm water, no soap, and then blow dry genitals dry with a hair dryer. It is the most reliable way to make the sores dry up and go away.