Sunday, June 14, 2009

Herpes Cures 101

By Sandra Griggs

Using antiviral drugs as a 'herpes cures' have provided people diagnosed with genital herpes the chance to free themselves from the manifestations of herpes for an extended period of time. At the same time, this helps minimize the level and extent of the symptoms in instances of flare-ups. Using drug therapy as herpes cures does not necessarily treat the condition but is intended to make living with the condition more convenient.

There are three main drugs that are being used as a herpes cure which includes acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. They come as an oral solution in the form of a pill. For severe instances of herpes, intravenous acyclovir is being used. The use of topical creams or lotions as a herpes cure offers minimal advantages. Because of this, they are rarely recommended.

When initially diagnosed with genital herpes, doctors will generally suggest a brief course, ranging from 7 to 10 days, of antiviral medicines to reduce symptoms or aggravating the condition. If the blisters do not heal within the specified time, the doctor will require the extension of antiviral medicines.

When the initial treatment has been conducted, you may need to coordinate with your doctor about the best approach to taking antiviral therapy. There are two available options for taking these herpes cures.

The first option is intermittent treatment. In this method the doctor will suggest storage of an antiviral drug in case there is another flare-up. This method of herpes cure requires administration of pills for 2 to 5 days whenever you feel there is another flare-up or spot sores.

With suppressive treatment, the doctor will recommend anti-viral drugs if you have frequent outbreaks. If you are experiencing six occurrences within a year, suppressive therapy can decrease the occurrence to 70% to 80%. This method of herpes cure can reduce the onset to zero outbreaks for the year.

There is no required number of outbreaks per year that doctors use in determining when is the right time to undergo suppressive therapy. The most crucial factor to consider is the frequency of outbreaks as well as their severity to interfere with your life.

Taking daily suppressive treatment likewise minimizes the potential of transferring the virus to a sex partner. These herpes cures can lessen viral shedding, wherein the virus replicates itself on the surface of your skin.

Recently, a study involving people taking daily doses of valacyclovir showed that this herpes cure can serve as a shield to sex partners from getting infected, although condom use is still necessary. Fifty percent of the sexual partners taking dosage of valacyclovir on a daily basis experienced virus infection and the remaining fifty percent was free from infection. 75% of sexual partners showed symptoms of genital herpes, regardless of virus infection.

The side effects of herpes cure is mild and health experts regard them as safe when used in the long term. The oldest of the three medications is acyclovir which has been proven safe for people taking suppressive treatment for several years.

People undergoing herpes cure should always talk to their doctors at least once in a year to see if they should continue with the method. You may find some discomfort taking pills everyday, the drug is inefficient, or there may be lesser outbreaks as the time passes. Your doctor can help determine the most suitable herpes cure.

About the Author: