Herpes: Is There an Effective Cure?

it is never completely eradicated from the body. Once the infection and its clinical manifestations have been treated, in fact, the "Herpes simplex it remains silent in the organism as it is kept under control by the immune system.
At the first drop in the immune defenses, however, Herpes is capable of triggering a new infection which results in the appearance of its characteristic signs and symptoms (the appearance of blisters that cause discomfort, pain or itching).
Therefore, in general, it can be said that the best cure for Herpes is prevention.

regular and adapted to their abilities, in general, they are less susceptible to developing infection.
The sportin fact, it is a powerful medicine against stress (one of the risk factors for the onset of herpetic infection), it helps to relax and strengthens the body's defenses. By regularly practicing 30-40 minutes of physical activity at least three times a week, we will have many more weapons at our disposal to fight against Herpes virus.

Diet

Even nutrition, if well calibrated, makes us less susceptible to disease. When we want to improve our slightly deficient immune defenses, it is in fact important to take the right doses of vitamins and minerals. In particular, the diet must absolutely satisfy the needs of vitamin C, magnesium and iron.
However, it is important not to overdo the intake of these substances since an excess of them could, paradoxically, give the opposite effect to what was hoped for. Allergies, intolerances and indigestions are, in fact, powerful stimuli for viral action, favored by the temporary decline in the immune defenses.
Foods particularly suitable for improving the efficiency of the immune system are citrus fruits, algae, echinacea and beehive products: honey, royal jelly and propolis. A rather ancient remedy, but certainly effective in favoring the resolution of symptoms, consists precisely in the application of a drop of tincture of propolis on the diseased part before going to bed.
Meat, fish and dairy products must not be missing in the diet as they are rich in an amino acid, lysine, which would seem to counteract the onset of relapses. Another amino acid, arginine, has instead been related to the episodes of reactivation of the " Herpes virus This amino acid is mainly contained in dried fruit, chocolate, some types of red wine and protein supplements for athletes.
In the treatment and prevention of Herpes there are therefore no miraculous foods, even if some appear more suitable than others.

Other preventive strategies

In addition to improving one's life habits, prevention must also be exercised in the case of family members or cohabitants suffering from herpetic infections. In these cases, in fact, it is important to avoid sharing commonly used objects such as lip sticks, make-up products, towels or any other object that can favor the transmission of the infection from one individual to another.

it will remain inside the body for life Herpes virus after being defeated by the immune system, they will go, in fact, to nest inside the sensory ganglia where they will be protected from drugs and antibodies.
In the case of herpes labialis, about a week after the appearance of the first bubbles, there is a complete resolution of the symptoms. The speech becomes more complicated in the "infection by Shingles (St. Anthony's fire) which, if not properly treated, can cause serious risks to the health of the patient.

Pharmacological therapy

Although a definitive cure does not exist, there are many useful medicines to accelerate the "recovery" and avoid complications. Let's see the most important:

Creams based on zinc and / or heparin: they decrease the duration of the eruption, especially if applied together with the first signs of tingling or a sense of heat on the lips. However, after this time interval (6-12 hours), these products lose much of their effectiveness in curing the disease.
Antiviral drugs: drugs with antiviral action such as aciclovir and its more recent derivatives famciclovir, penciclovir and valaciclovir can be used to accelerate the resolution of the infection, even if, as repeatedly stressed, they are not able to eradicate the virus from the body. However, these active ingredients act on viral polymerases preventing the replication of Herpes virus and are therefore effective even if taken after the first warning symptoms appear.

In case of Herpes genitalis these drugs are particularly useful during acute manifestations in pregnancy, as the infection could be transmitted to the baby during delivery. In any case, to prevent this circumstance, it is advisable to report to your doctor any past episode attributable to the typical symptoms of the infection. from Herpes virus.
At the same time, antiviral drugs are very useful in the preventive therapy of a fearful complication of "Shingles called post-herpetic neuralgia.
Antiviral drugs can be taken topically or orally, depending on the type and severity of the infection affecting each patient. The type of drug and the route of administration, therefore, will be determined by the physician on an individual basis.

Interferon: thanks to its powerful anti-viral action, interferon can also be used against herpetic infections.
Immunostimulants: if there is a real deficit of the immune defenses despite the adoption of a healthy lifestyle; in this regard, natural or synthetic thymic hormones have proved effective (See also: immunostimulating plants).
Vaccines: there are several specific vaccines against Herpes virus currently in experimentation. Already available for some years is the vaccine against the fire of Sant "Antonio (Zostavax ®).

Natural remedies

For more information: Herpes: Natural Remedies

In cases where the herpetic infection is not particularly serious, to facilitate the healing of the lesions, it may be useful to resort to some natural remedies.
Among these, we remember:

Propolis, a bee product with strong antimicrobial and disinfectant properties.
Tea tree oil, with known germicidal and anti-inflammatory properties.
Echinacea, useful both topically thanks to its antiviral properties, and orally thanks to its immunostimulating properties.
Aloe, a plant whose extracts have a healing, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating activity.

In any case - although these are natural remedies - before resorting to them for the treatment of Herpes infections, it is always good to ask for the advice of your doctor.

In the case of cold sores, the symptoms can be relieved by applying specific protective creams or lip sticks to the lips.

Keep the affected area clean and dry and, if necessary, protect it with sterile gauze.

In case of severe pain, the use of anesthetic creams can be useful, however their use can slow down the resolution of herpetic lesions and, in any case, should be prescribed by the doctor.

Use underwear and clothes made of natural fibers, avoiding those made of synthetic fibers which can irritate the skin and hinder healing.

Finally, many patients experience relief from herpes symptoms by running hot water over the lesions.