Herpes – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

The herpes virus can live dormant inside a person’s immune system for a lifetime, periodically causing blisters that burst and turn into open cold sores or ulcers before healing. When left alone, herpes cold sores usually last about 10–14 days and are uncomfortable for a variety of reasons — causing redness, pain, burning and often embarrassment.

In fact, many people with herpes don’t experience any symptoms at all, especially long term, once they learn to manage triggers of outbreaks. So while there’s no guide for how to get rid of herpes naturally, there is a method for how to get rid of herpes symptoms the natural way and keep breakouts at bay.

By boosting the immune system through a healthy diet, making lifestyle changes and being cautious during periods of active breakouts, you can help keep any virus dormant, including herpes. Certain steps can significantly reduce the chances of having having reoccurring herpes symptoms and lower the risk that you’ll pass the virus to someone else. So if you’re wondering how to get rid of herpes, read on to learn the natural ways to keep this virus dormant.

Herpes, whether on the mouth or genitals, is caused by a family of over 70 related viruses. These viral infections cause small, fluid-filled blisters to develop on the skin and mucous membranes. There are actually eight different types of herpes simplex viruses that both children and adults can acquire, but two are by far the most common: HSV-1 and HSV-2.

The most common reason that people develop cold sores on their mouths is due to becoming infected with HSV-1. (4) HSV-1 usually causes cold sore breakouts around the lips or mouth, or what some people describe as “fever blisters.” Someone can become infected with HSV-1 starting as a child, and then the virus can lay dormant in the body until the immune system is weakened, at which point symptoms can surface.

HSV-2 is commonly referred to as genital herpes because it usually causes cold sores to erupt around the genitalia. In fact, genital herpes is the No. 1 cause of genital ulcers worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and affects up to 1 in 3 adults (although most who are infected don’t even know it). (5) Both types of herpes viruses are highly contagious, and both can cause cold sores in either area of the body (or sometimes both). 

Risk factors for acquiring herpes include: (8)

• Kissing someone who has symptoms of an active herpes virus
• Engaging in any form of unprotected sex (including oral sex)
• Having sex with multiple partners (since the infection rate of both HSV-1 and HSV-2 is so high)
• Spreading the virus through contact with cold sores on the eyes, secretions on the fingers, or ulcers/sores on buttocks and upper thighs
• Having certain other illnesses that lower immune function, such as HIV/AIDS, an autoimmune disorder or hepatitis
• Eating a poor diet that causes nutrient deficiencies and lowered immunity
• Smoking cigarettes, drinking high amounts of alcohol or abusing drugs
• As of 2017, there is not currently a herpes vaccine available to prevent HSV-1 or HSV-2. (There is a vaccine available for another virus, herpes zoster; however, despite the similar name, it actually refers to the shingles virus. And, in fact, shingles occurs due to the reactivation of yet another virus, varicella zoster, which causes chicken pox.)
• Doctors sometimes prescribe medications to help keep the herpes virus suppressed or to speed up healing of cold sores by reducing bacteria that can cause infections. Some medications that are now used to control herpes include:
• Nucleoside analogues and antiviral medications (such as acyclovir, famciclovir and valaciclovir)
• Creams/ointment to help lower pain and inflammation near the site of sores
• Over-the-counter painkillers to reduce aches, tenderness or fever
  • https://draxe.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-herpes/