Home Remedies for Herpes
The effectiveness of home remedies for herpes relies partly on which type of herpes you have. The herpes simplex virus causes both cold sores on the lip and mouth area and genital herpes, a much more serious problem. In both cases, once you have the herpes virus, it stays with you for life and has no cure. You can reduce the symptoms and frequency of outbreaks, but you can’t completely get rid of it.
Home Remedies for Herpes Simplex 1
Herpes Simplex 1 is causes cold sores, sometimes called fever blisters. If you have a herpes outbreak on your lips or mouth tissue, you can soothe the pain and speed healing by placing a cooled tea bag on the area after you’ve brewed the tea to release the tannins, which are natural anti-inflammatories.
Pure honey is also a natural healing agent that discourages viral growth and helps the cold sore heal more quickly. Try dabbing it onto the sore each morning and evening for relief.
An alternative approach is to focus on drying out the cold sore. A thick paste of baking soda will not only dry the sore, but will take away the itching. Cornstarch will have the same effect. Of course, if you’ll be at work or running errands, you may not want the white paste announcing the cold sore. If this is the case, try touching a damp finger to table salt at each meal, then holding it to the sore for at least five seconds. You can put the baking soda paste on at night when no one will see it.
Pure aloe vera, preferably from the peeled leaf of the plant, is another home remedy for herpes that soothes and heals. Cut a peeled aloe vera leaf into chunks and chill them for an hour before slathering the cooled gel onto your cold sores.
Home Remedies for Herpes Simplex 2
Genital herpes is more painful and more serious than the strain of herpes that causes cold sores. A flare-up of genital herpes can cause a low grade fever, a backache, sharp pains in the upper legs and clusters of raw blisters that are extremely sore and itchy. These sore can break open in clusters and spread the infection. The final indignity of herpes simplex 2 is the extreme pain felt when urinating, caused by the acidic urine hits the blisters. You can minimize the effect of this by drinking lots of fluids to dilute the urine.
Before trying any home remedies for genital herpes, make sure that you’re caring for the area properly. You need to keep your herpes as dry as possible. This means wearing cotton underwear during the day and sleeping without underwear of any kind at night. You should also consider drying the area with the cool setting on a hair dryer after any bath or shower. Dry skin heals much faster than damp skin.
Sipping chamomile or peppermint tea can reduce your discomfort and boost the immune system, but you’ll also want to try some home remedies for herpes discomfort that you can apply directly to the sores.
Soaking in a warm bath to which a half cup of baking soda has been added is a wonderful way to soothe the area. After you get out, dry the area thoroughly and apply cornstarch to keep the area dry and reduce rubbing or chafing that could make the rash worse.
You can also try putting compresses of damp tea bags on the area in the evening when you are able to relax for a while with no underwear on. Some people also swear by cotton balls soaked in milk to reduce the pain and inflammation. Others suggest putting plain, unflavored yogurt on the area. Keep in mind, however, that after you’ve let these remedies soothe the area, you need to completely dry the area to inhibit further growth of the herpes virus.
The most practical home remedies for herpes are ways to keep outbreaks to a minimum. Avoid stress, which can cause herpes flare-ups, get plenty of sleep and boost your immune system. Vitamin C and L-Lysine are two natural home remedies you can take daily to promote faster recovery and prevent recurring outbreaks.
Keep in mind that having herpes is nothing to be embarrassed about and you will heal more quickly. Stressing yourself only prolongs the virus flare-up. With a positive attitude and one of the above home remedies for herpes, you will soon be feeling much better.
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