Treatments for Genital herpes
Treatment list for Genital herpes: The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Genital herpes includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
- Acyclovir (Zovirax®) - an antiviral drug
- Famciclovir (Famvir®)
- Valacyclovir (Valtrex®)
- Keep area clean and dry
- Avoid touching sores
- Avoid sexual activity - this can infect others.
- Wash hands
- Warm baths - to relieve symptoms
- Caesarian delivery - to prevent the baby catching from herpes if mother is having an outbreak at the time.
- Sexual abstinence during attacks
- Condoms - to prevent sexual transmission
Treatment of Genital herpes: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to treatment of Genital herpes:
- Valtrex may be used to treat shingles, genital herpes and cold sores
Treatments of Genital herpes discussion: There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication. 1
Although there is no cure for genital herpes, your doctor might prescribe one of three medicines to treat it:
- Acyclovir (Zovirax®) treats the first and/or later episodes of genital herpes.
- Famciclovir (Famvir®) treats later episodes of genital herpes and helps prevent future outbreaks.
- Valacyclovir (Valtrex®) treats later episodes of genital herpes.
- Keep the infected area clean and dry to prevent other infections from developing.
- Try to avoid touching the sores.
- Wash your hands after contact with the sores.
- Avoid sexual contact from the time you first feel any symptoms until the sores are completely healed, that is, the scab has fallen off and new skin has formed where the sore was.
Severe or frequently recurrent genital herpes is treated with one of several antiviral drugs that are available by prescription. These drugs help control the symptoms but do not eliminate the herpes virus from the body. Suppressive antiviral therapy can be used to prevent occurrences and perhaps transmission. Women who acquire genital herpes during pregnancy can transmit the virus to their babies. Untreated HSV infection in newborns can result in mental retardation and death.3
During an active herpes episode, whether primary or recurrent, it is important to follow a few simple steps to speed healing and to avoid spreading the infection to other sites of the body or to other people: keep the infected area clean and dry, try to avoid touching the sores, wash hands after contact, and avoid sexual contact from the time the symptoms are first recognized until the sores have healed.
In 1982, the first antiviral drug for genital herpes, acyclovir, was
approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a topical ointment
in persons suffering from an initial episode of infection. Over the next
few years, investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and elsewhere subsequently proved that an oral
form of acyclovir is a superior treatment capable of benefiting persons
with first or recurrent episodes of genital herpes. The oral form of the
drug markedly shortens the course of a first episode and limits the
severity of recurrences if taken within 24 hours of onset of symptoms.
People who have very frequent recurrent episodes of the disease can also
take oral acyclovir daily for up to 1 year to suppress the virus’ activity
and prevent most recurrences. Acyclovir is not a cure for herpes -- the
virus remains in the body, but while taken regularly, the drug interferes
with the virus’ ability to reproduce itself.
4
Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Genital Herpes: DSTD
2. excerpt from Genital Herpes, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
3. excerpt from Sexually Transmitted Diseases, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
4. excerpt from Genital Herpes: NWHIC
Last revision:
April 11, 2003
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