Genital Herpes - Keep it Under Control

Genital herpes is something that once you have contracted it the virus lays dormant in your body for life. Keeping it under control is a must if you want to avoid outbreaks on a regular basis. This will cut down the need for any drug treatments that you might be taking during your herpes outbreaks.

Signs and symptoms of herpes

Depending on the severity of your outbreaks the signs and symptoms of herpes include…

Blisters on lips
Blisters or painful bumps that break open and form ulcers in the genital area
General flu-like symptoms, including muscle aches
Burning, itching and a tingling sensation of the skin
Vaginal discharge
Tender, swollen glands (lymph nodes) around the genital area
Pain when urination
Headaches

What you can do to cut down on the outbreaks, and what you can do during outbreaks of herpes simplex

Touching the area when you have an outbreak can cause you to spread it to other parts of your body as well as to someone else. If you do touch the area of the genital herpes infection you should wash your hands immediately afterwards to cut down on the chances of the infection spreading.

Avoid any sexual activity during an outbreak. This protects your partner from contracting the virus which will mean they then could suffer with outbreaks for life. If you do have intercourse then use protection such as a condom.

Keep the infected area clean and dry as much as possible. This prevents the infection spreading to other parts of your body, and prevents the infection getting more severe.

A warm bath with baking soda added can give you relief if the itching becomes intense. Dry the area thoroughly afterwards.

Living a stress free life will help prevent outbreaks. Stress weakens your immune system, and this needs to be strong to prevent any type of infection.

Eating a healthy diet rich in nutritious foods like fruit and vegetables strengthens your immune system, and keeps your body in an alkalised state. When your body gets too acidic you have more chance of getting infections as viruses, bacteria and fungi prefer to infect an acidic body.

Keeping your genital herpes under control is important to your health. If you need to take drugs with every outbreak these will eventually have an effect on your long term health. Doctors will easily prescribe something like antibiotics, and these will become part of the cause of your outbreaks if you’re taking them regularly.