Genital Herpes Sores
What To Do About Genital Herpes Sores
Do you have sores in the genital area? Perhaps they itch a great deal. It is possible that they do not bother you very much. However, the presence of sores usually means, that there is something wrong. Do the sores start out as a rash with small red bumps? Maybe you feel ill all over, like you have the flu. Perhaps the sores seem to come and go on their own. Your problem may be genital herpes sores. Here are things that you can do about them.
Genital Herpes Sores Photo by JMRosenfeld via Flickr
Genital herpes comes from the HSV-2 virus. It is also referred to as a type 2 virus. Type 1 virus infections come from the HSV-1 virus. This is simply common cold sores that everyone gets now and then. There is a large difference between the two. Type 1 will go away. Type 2 of female genital herpes does not go away. It is always with you. To date, there is no cure. The only treatment is to keep it down, to control symptoms.
However, the sores can be painful and very itchy. Some common treatments are creams with lidocaine or benzocaine. Some people recommend taking a bath in Epsom salts. Be careful with using a lot of creams and lotions. You want as much air as possible to get to the sores. This will help them heal.
Boxer shorts may be best to wear. In fact, no underwear at all, may be better, in some cases. Avoid tight fitting jeans and slacks. This will keep your clothes from rubbing sore areas.
Some people claim that warmth can help the itching and pain. A warm bath may make a difference. You might try lying in bed and gently blowing a hair dryer over the affected area. Make sure that you keep it a safe distance away from the skin.
It is very important that you see a doctor about this. Talk to your doctor about topical treatments for the itching. There may be prescription lotions that will help. Your doctor will most likely have you taking anti viral medications. There are two therapy methods for this.
Episodic
This type of therapy involves taking anti viral medications. Whenever you have symptoms, you start taking the pills. As soon as they go away, you stop the medication. This works well for some people.
Suppression treatment
This type of therapy is aimed at long term suppression of the virus. You take anti viral medication every day. This makes the outbreaks less severe. In fact, it may prevent outbreaks in some patients. Protection is always recommended. However, it you may be less like to pass the infection on to others, with this therapy.
Summary
Genital herpes sores can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. They will eventually go away. However, since there is no cure, they will return. If you take daily anti viral medication, it may prevent this. There are other treatments with lidocaine or benzocaine cream. Some people find relief with a warm bath and Epsom salts. Warmth may also be provided by a hair dryer, at a safe distance. Make sure that you wear loose clothes and boxer shorts. Talk to your doctor about the best available treatments.
September 22 2010 06:07 pm | Symptoms of Vaginal Herpes
