It’s unfortunate that something that affects nearly 80% of adults often leaves the victim ashamed, frustrated, and quiet about their condition. Anyone who has ever suffered through a herpes outbreak can attest to the roller-coaster of emotions that can make the situation worse than it needs to be. Having herpes can feel like the entire world is staring and judging you. Herpes can leave you physically scarred, but it’s the psychological scars that can cause the most damage. Children can be ridiculed, adults rejected, and because the virus has the ability to remain with us for a life time, the emotional pain can be experienced during all phases of life. There are two types of herpes HSV-1, this type causes cold sores on the mouth, and HSV-2, this type is responsible for genital outbreaks.
Most herpes outbreaks happens when the immune system is compromised and the virus is able to cause an outbreak. The virus typically lies dormant without showing symptoms until a person is exposed to certain stresses like overexposure to the sun, personal stress, illness, and fatigue. Most people are unaware that chronic stress can significantly weaken their immune system. Any time the body is weakened the herpes virus may become active and form an outbreak.
Herpes sufferers are usually left with limited options. While having herpes can be difficult, treating the condition conventionally can be out right disheartening. Conventional medicine states that there is no cure for the herpes virus, yet there are many prescription drugs that attempt to reduce outbreaks or speed up recovery time. Few work, and the ones that do can be expensive and/or cause serious side effects. Natural prevention and treatments include careful hand washing and most importantly, supporting the immune system so that the body is able to defend against all invading viruses. There are several natural options for controlling the herpes virus. One person with herpes is different than the next person with herpes and most find a customized approach is much more effective than the conventional one-size-fits-all mentality. Many find comfort and a faster recovery time with the below topical salves. Both types of HSV respond very well to the below suggestions, and anyone suffering from herpes should consider alternative treatments.
Tea Tree Oil: This powerful yet natural antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal substance has been hailed as a reliable and dependable remedy when it comes to any type of open sores. Tea Tree Oil speed recovery, soothes the area almost instantly, and can even be used as a preventative measure to help control out breaks. A few drops of this oil applied directly to the area can provide instant relief , but should not be taken orally.
Lemon Balm: This balm has a long reputation for having calming properties. Lemon balm is antibacterial and antiviral. Apply either Lemon Balm cream directly to the outbreak or brew tea bags and place on the area.
To orally defend against outbreaks, a healthy immune system is essential. Echinacea, Vitamin C, L-lysine, and Zinc are some of the nutrients that help strengthen your immune system. Many sufferers find inexpensive relief with taking L-lysine daily which may prevent outbreaks by suppressing the herpes virus. As stress can severely weaken your immune system, many find relief with managing their stress. If you are living with the herpes virus you should refrain from eating foods that contain high amounts of L-arginine. This is found in peanuts and peanut butter, chocolate, and caffeinated drinks. L-arginine actually feeds the virus and encourages more rapid growth and spreading.
In order to get the right dose and combination of nutrition, it is important to see a knowledgeable physician who can tailor a supplemental plan for you. The natural treatments described above are effective, safe, and without the unpleasant side
effects often experienced with synthetic medications. While supplements can be extremely helpful in preventing outbreaks, increasing recovery time, and providing relief to an existing outbreak they need to be carefully selected and recommended by a trained practitioner. While two people can have exactly the same symptoms, they may need entirely different treatments. If you would like a natural way to treat your herpes, contact your physician. Your physician may even recommend a treatment like intravenous ozone which has the ability to kill the virus. As this is a time-tested treatment, some sufferers who use to pain through multiple outbreaks have now been outbreak free for years.
Paul Stallone, N.M.D.
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