Herpes Simplex Virus, and particularly genital herpes, is said to affect one in four sexually active adults. I personally think the numbers might be higher, due to under-reporting of what is, for some, a very embarrassing situation.
Currently, the only prescription medication we hear about is Valtrex and even then, you hear that nothing can cure herpes and that, even with medication, you can still spread it.
If that won't put a damper on your lovelife, I don't know what will.
But there are things you can do, responsible steps you can take, to lessen both your severity and occurrence of herpes outbreaks as well as the potential for spreading herpes to another.
Seven ways to outwit the herpes virus:
1. Find out what your herpes triggers are. Your most important tool, by far, is self-monitoring. Different people have different triggers for herpes outbreaks. By paying attention, you can find out if you are more likely to outbreak from sun exposure, stress, or arginine rich foods.
2. Learn how to recognize the predome symptoms. Everyone goes at such a fast pace that it's easy to overlook the precursers to an outbreak but they are almost always there, from 24 ot 48 hours before the actual outbreak. If you can learn to pay attention to that very first tingling feeling in a previous outbreak area, that very first feeling of pain in the lymph nodes of the groin, and any feelings of heat in the area, you can take preventative steps that may avert an outbreak.
3. Avoid arginine-rich foods. For men and women into body-building, it's important to look at any weight building or sports nutrition formulas you are taking, and make sure they don't contain major doses of arginine. Even if you can take an arginine-rich formula normally, you can forgoe them during predome or stressful situations and reduce the risk of outbreak being triggered by arginine. Foods rich in arginine include peanuts, beer (I know you hate to read that one, fellas) and chocolate (the ladies hate to see that one here too),
4. Increase lysine-rich foods. Lysine tricks the herpes virus into thinking it can mate with it, in a manner of speaking, and helps neutralize it. You can also take lysine capsules. Foods rich in lysine include turkey, fish, cheese, yogurt and fresh vegetables.
5. Boost your immune system. Take a good antioxidant formula to help your immune system, which is your first line of defense against herpes, function at high alert.
6. Keep tea tree oil handy. Tea tree oil will kill the herpes virus on the surface and many find that applying the oil directly to previous outbreak areas whenever predome symptoms start can help avert an outbreak. If the oil burns, it can be diluted.
7. Use ice during predome. Another way to potentially avert an outbreak is to use and ice pack at the very first sign of predome symptoms.
This is not an article on safe sex but it stands to reason that using a condom whenever you feel an outbreak might be coming on, and abstaining altogether when an outbreak is present is smart.
Finally, remember that one in four sexually active adults have the virus so it may be that you telling him or her will open the door for them to tell you. And there are also dating clubs for people with herpes so if the prospect of having to reveal you have herpes is just too daunting, please realize you don't have to stop dating altogether just because you have herpes.
Neva Howell is a wellness counselor of many years and she now maintains websites on different aspects of health and healing. For more tips for reducing the risk of herpes outbreaks, visit The Living without Herpes Series
