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DoxyPep 100mg
Post-exposure prophylaxis to help prevent bacterial STIs.
- Take Within 72 Hours
- Cuts Bacterial STI Risk
- Simple As-Needed Dose
Metronidazole 500mg
Antibiotic for bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis.
- Treats BV & Trich
- Proven Antibiotic
- Short Treatment Course
Valacyclovir 500mg
Antiviral that controls and suppresses herpes outbreaks.
- Controls Outbreaks
- Daily Suppression Option
- Reduces Transmission
Neither oral nor genital herpes can be cured. However, powerful prescription antiviral drugs can shorten the duration of outbreaks and also lessen the number of outbreaks.
Oral herpes is probably best known by the symptoms it causes, namely cold sores or fever blisters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 54 percent of all Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 carry the herpes simplex virus type 1, or HSV-1, that causes oral herpes.
Oral herpes is closely related to genital herpes, which is caused by a similar virus known as herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2, which afflicts an estimated 16 percent of all Americans from 14 to 49.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The line between these two different strains of the herpes virus is somewhat blurred because an individual who carries the HSV-1 virus can transmit it to the genitals of a sex partner through oral sex or to the mouth by kissing. Once transmitted in this fashion, the HSV-1 virus can produce genital sores that are identical to those caused by genital herpes.
Conversely, an individual suffering from HSV-2 can transmit that virus to a sex partner through kissing where it might manifest itself as a cold sore or fever blister that looks pretty much identical to those caused by the HSV-1 virus. Because both of these viruses can be transmitted through sexual contact, they fall under the broad heading of sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs.
Viruses Have No Cure
Both of these herpes viruses are incurable, although there are prescription medications that are quite effective in suppressing or minimizing outbreaks, or at least shortening the duration of the outbreaks. However, whether you’re on antiviral medications to control your herpes infections or not, you still can pass the virus to another even when your herpes is in a so-called dormant phase. However, studies indicate that the use of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir, penciclovir, and valacyclovir can reduce by 50 percent the likelihood that you’ll pass the virus to another. We’ll take a closer look at these powerful antiviral medications a bit later in this article.
During its active phase, oral herpes produces blistering sores in and around the mouth. A typical episode of oral herpes begins with a tingling or sore feeling at some point along the lip line. This is considered the initial stage of the outbreak. During the second stage of an outbreak, that tingling or sore spot morphs into a fluid-filled blister, which in the virus’s third and final stage secretes a fluid that eventually forms a scab over the affected area. Beneath that scab, the sore area repairs itself so that when the scab falls away, it leaves no sign that the sore had even been there in the first place.
How to Stave Off Outbreaks
While there is no cure for oral (or genital) herpes, a variety of measures can be taken to minimize the embarrassment and discomfort of an acute outbreak. Over-the-counter medications are available that can more quickly dry up the herpes lesions and shorten the duration of the outbreak. The active ingredient in many of these OTC products is docosanol, an antiviral medication sold in cream form to be applied to herpes blisters.
A quick search of the internet will also lead you to a number of home remedies that herbalists and folk medicine practitioners advocate for natural treatment of herpes outbreaks. Some urge increasing your intake of certain foods and beverages to fight off a herpes outbreak.
Fill Up on Lysine-Rich Foods
High on the list of recommendations in this category are foods and beverages rich in lysine, an amino acid that reputedly helps to stave off active herpes outbreaks. Lysine-rich foods include cheese, dried apples and pears, eggs, fish, milk, red meat, and yogurt. At the same time you’re increasing your intake of lysine-rich foods, you should also cut back on foods high in arginine, an amino acid that fuels replication of the herpes virus. High-arginine foods and beverages include chocolate, grains, nuts, and seeds.
Another dietary tip for controlling herpes calls for an increase in your consumption of foods and beverages rich in vitamins C and E, both of which are considered antioxidants. Foods in this category include avocados, broccoli, citrus fruits, and kiwis. Antioxidants battle free radicals, which increase levels of inflammation in the body that increases your vulnerability to a wide array of ailments.
Apply Garlic to Herpes Lesions
Other herbal remedies for hastening your recovery from an oral herpes outbreak involve the application of natural substances to the sites of sores or blisters in their early stages. Rubbing garlic over the site of a herpes lesion supposedly can cut the duration of your outbreak. It may sting at first, but the pain lasts only momentarily, and the relief will be well worth the sacrifice.
The natural gel from the aloe vera plant can help dry out and heal a cold sore or fever blister. If you have access to an aloe vera plant, cut the tip off one of its leaves and apply the gel that oozes from the cut end onto the herpes lesion. Others suggest that you can speed recovery from an oral herpes outbreak with plain table salt and water. Moisten one of your fingers and apply a pinch of salt to the tip. Press the salt-coated tip of your finger to the herpes lesion for two minutes. Repeat periodically until the sore heals.
Suppressive Antivirals Your Best Bet
All of the foregoing suggestions can help to reduce the number of oral herpes outbreaks you experience and speed your recovery from those that do occur. However, most medical experts agree that the most effective suppression of oral herpes outbreaks comes from prescription medications that contain the active ingredients cited earlier. The medications include acyclovir, also sold under the brand name Zovirax, famciclovir (Famvir), penciclovir (Denavir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex). While penciclovir or brand-name Denavir comes in topical cream form, the other prescription antivirals are oral medications.
These powerful antiviral medications are the most powerful tools available for the suppression of the oral herpes virus. As previously noted, oral herpes is incurable. But those who use these prescription antiviral medications on a regular basis reduce sharply the number of herpes outbreaks and in some cases experience a total cessation of outbreaks. However, it must be emphasized that even an absence of active episodes of oral herpes should not be interpreted to mean that the virus has been eliminated from your body. It’s still there, simply less active or, in some rare cases, inactive.
Can Reduce Contagiousness
Herpes patients who take their prescription antivirals faithfully each day also are said to be 50 percent less likely to pass the virus to a partner. However, in the interest of full disclosure, you have a moral obligation to share with your partner(s) your HSV-1 status so that an informed decision can be made about exposure to that risk, however much it may have been reduced.
If you decide to treat your oral herpes with one of these powerful antiviral medications, you’ll need a prescription from your doctor. If you already have one, you can have it filled at the brick-and-mortar pharmacy most convenient to you, or you can order the drug online from a reliable online facilitator, such as eDrugstore.com. Available from eDrugstore are generic acyclovir, as well as the brand-name medications Denavir and Valtrex.
If you opt to order online, you can fax your prescription or scan and email it along with your order to eDrugstore. If you don’t yet have a prescription, eDrugstore can set up a complimentary online consultation with one of its team of licensed U.S. physicians. If your symptoms and medical history make use of one of these medications appropriate, the eDrugstore physician will authorize a prescription, and the drug will be shipped to you promptly. If the convenience and confidentiality of online ordering appeal to you, you can get started by clicking here to reach eDrugstore’s Sexual Health page.
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