If you currently have the herpes virus the best thing you can do for yourself is herpes research. Knowing everything about the virus will help you control it, instead of fear it. There are plenty of sources available out there that can keep you informed on this fast spreading virus. With proper knowledge, you can learn to live a long and rewarding life.

Through extensive clinical studies, specifically, genital herpes research, it has been found that there is no cure for the herpes. However, there are numerous ways to control it effectively. Research has shown that people suffer from the virus in different ways. Sometimes, carriers suffer no symptoms. Therefore, they are unaware that they are infected with genital herpes. In most cases, however, symptoms such as red bumps, fever, blisters and headaches, alert others that they are in fact, a carrier of the herpes virus.

Other herpes research has helped in creating treatment options for those living with the herpes virus. This includes all types of herpes, such as oral, genital and ocular. While your doctor can provide one of the many prescription drugs available on the market, there are vast arrays of natural topical treatments that can be used safely, without side effects. Research has also shown that wearing loose clothing, avoidance of touching sores, and keeping the area clean and dry can make outbreaks shorter in length and much more bearable.

Current research on herpes has shown that the infection is permanent. It has also shown that the virus is rapidly spreading. It is estimated that approximately one million Americans become infected per year. With this said, each person’s reaction from the virus varies. As stated before, some carriers suffer one outbreak during their lifetime. Others may have approximately 2 to 6 outbreaks a year, depending on age, race, gender and lifestyle.

Asymptomatic viral shedding is also become a focal point in genital herpes research. This means that although there is no visible outbreak, the carrier is still shedding the virus. Basically, when you shed the virus, you are still contagious and can pass the virus onto others. Research has also shown that this shedding is more common in women than it is in men.

Reading up on herpes research can be extremely beneficial. Studies show that a change in lifestyle can help manage the virus more effectively. It is highly important to take necessary precaution if you plan on engaging in sexual activity. Anyone with herpes can maintain a healthy and rewarding sex life, but must use protection in order to protect their partner. During outbreaks, it is necessary to use a condom. Using a condom in between outbreaks can be helpful as well. In a nutshell, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Always remember that herpes does not have to control you. Stay close with your family, make new friends and keep up with current research on herpes will keep you well informed on how to manage your outbreaks and your life.

by Sheldon Miller

Bee pollen and herpes, what do they have in common? The pollen from the bee actually has a component that speeds up the healing of wounds from the herpes condition. Herpes is a widely spread sexually transmitted disease in adults caused by the herpes simplex virus or HSV. The symptoms include blisters and ulcers on the mouth, face, genitals, and around the anus area. Once a person is infected with herpes, he or she remains infected for life. There is no known total cure for herpes, just some minor treatment for the wounds or blisters caused by it.

Bee pollen and herpes patients have gone along well through the years because the ingestion of pollen makes the symptoms disappear for long periods of time. So what exactly is in the pollen that cures the herpes’ painful symptoms? The answer is the Pantothenic acid, a part of B vitamin complex family that effectively speeds up the cure of herpes wounds.

The bee products with propolis, a powerful natural antibiotic from bees, are more effective against the herpes simplex virus. This is because of the high concentration of flavonoids and luteolin in propolis that are very efficient in reducing pain, itchiness, and inflammation in herpes patients.

What are the other things herpes patients can expect from taking in bee supplements?

By taking in daily bee pollen products, one’s body will experience an outstanding increase in natural energy. This is one reason why there are a lot of athletes who include a bee product in their daily diet. It has also been found to increase mental functions and concentration in adults as well as aid in young children’s IQ development. Adults are able to think clearly, even if they are in their senior years, and children are able to learn and comprehend lessons in school fast.

One of the best health benefits is its ability to slow down the aging process of each individual. This is due to the fact that it restores vigor and enhances cell regeneration processes. This health benefit from the pollen is commonly observed on the skin of a person taking bee products daily. They appear younger compared to their actual age and their skin is supple, soft, smooth, and almost wrinkle-free.

The pollen from the bee also normalizes chemical imbalances in the human body. These chemical imbalances often affect one’s metabolism resulting in various weight problems like overweight and underweight. Metabolism in overweight people will be increased resulting in faster fat burning and a flushing process due to the high lecithin percentage in the pollen. Overactive metabolism causing underweight in some people will also be normalized by a bee supplement. It can also suppress food cravings to help one reduce some of the unwanted weight and be able to eat healthier selection of food groups.

There are more health benefits from the pollens that we haven’t mentioned here. The important thing is for herpes patients to know that there are natural sources, like these pollens, that can help them with their painful symptoms. Bee pollen and herpes are indeed lasting. When the pollen is improperly stored and handled, it will lose up to 76 percent of its nutritive value within twelve months. The only way to preserve the high potency of pure pollen is the method of freeze drying.

Freeze drying bee pollens maintain its freshness and preserves all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients intact. Other bee pollen collectors do not handle their bee pollens very well and even subject their bee pollens in the heat drying process, the fastest way to dry out the product but the worst way in trying to preserve the bee pollens’ potency. Beekeepers in New Zealand see to it that they harvest bee pollens at least twice a week because they know the exceptional nutritive value of bee pollen freshness.

by Micheal Thomas

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now and From Coming Back For Good by Dr David Hoggs

What would happen if a baby got herpes during delivery or as a newborn?

About 30% of the time, newborn herpes affects a baby’s skin, eyes, or mouth, but will usually spare his other organs. He may have sores at delivery or develop them up to four weeks later. Herpes outbreak will usually happen up within the first 2 weeks.

Herpes lesions generally look like blisters and often appear where there has been a small break in the skin or any trauma — like the wrist area where a name tag was tied or where an electrode was placed to monitor his pulse rate. If your baby has herpes that’s restricted to the skin, eyes, and mouth and received prompt treatment with intravenous acyclovir, he’ll will not develop any complication. Research showed that 90 percent and more of babies with such form of herpes developed normally. Some babies, however, have serious recurrent outbreaks or long-term problems. If left untreated or treated late, a baby has herpes lon skin, eyes, and mouth can develop an even more serious form of herpes.

Some newborns whose central nervous system are affected will develop symptoms such as irritability, fever, lethargy, poor feeding, or seizures at 2-3 weeks old. Other newborns might get disseminated herpes, which involves multiple organs like the lungs and liver. Disseminated herpes typically shows up during the first week after birth and the babies may or may not have skin lesions. These forms of herpes can be very harsh to newborns and even with prompt treatments, some babies will die. While survivors will end up with serious long-term health and developmental complications.

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now & From Coming Back for Good by Dr David Hogg

The biggest worry with genital herpes during pregnancy is that you might transmit it to your baby during labor and delivery. Yes, it is true that you can transmit herpes to your baby during labor and delivery if you’re contagious or “shedding virus,” then. The risk of transmission can be higher if you get herpes late in your pregnancy.

Though less commonly, you can still transmit the virus if you’re having a recurrent infection. This is because the virus remains in your body and can become reactivated if you had an outbreak.

In rare cases, a pregnant woman may transmit the infection to her baby through the placenta if she gets herpes for the first time in her first trimester. If a baby is infected this way, the virus can cause serious birth defects.

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now and From Coming Back For Good by Dr David Hoggs

Investigation is on presently for an effective herpes vaccine and there is a general consensus that something should be available in 3-5 years. But these vaccines will be limited in function as in they will prevent infection in new patients. Those with the herpes simplex virus already residing in their bodies will probably not benefit.

There have been attempts to make vaccines which will prevent the HSV occurrence, but with not much success unfortunately. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals started a trial in November 2002 in this direction and hopefully, we should see some progress in the years to come.

Isoniplex (Isoprinosine) has been approved for use in HSV infections in about 56 countries due to its antiviral action and its ability to stimulate the body’s immune response. In the United States, Isoniplex is currently under investigation and under trial for HSV primary and recurrent cases. There may not be any cure as of now but there are drugs that help reduce the frequency and the duration of an outbreak and your doctor would be able to give you a fairly good idea about your options.

You natural healing process will be aided by the fact that the area is kept clean and dry during an outbreak. Warm showers are recommended to clean the infected area, then gently towel dried or with a hair dryer on a low or cool setting. Avoid tight-fitting undergarments to prevent chaffing. Creams and lotions may only irritate so preferably avoid using any of these. But, at the end of the day it is a healthy immune system that is important in controlling the virus along with proper nutrition, exercise and rest.

Alternative solutions are being discussed today in which are enumerated two control methods: immunotherapy and antiviral therapy. Antiviral therapy is the development of drugs that can identify the cells that harbor the virus and distinguish them from the others. The drugs have to work in such a way that they destroy the virus completely, without leaving fragments or producing mutants that may resurface later inside infected cells. Basically what is being asked is that the antiviral agents must be lethal to viruses only and must be non-toxic to body cells. Immunotherapy deals with developing agents that help fight the virus naturally by stimulating the body’s immune response system. Some substances available currently can activate specialized white blood cells.

The amino acid lysine has been found to control herpes and researchers have found that if free form lysine is added to a diet high in lysine and low in arginine, it appears to be useful. Viral replication increased in tissue culture studies when the amino acid ratio of arginine to lysine favors arginine. A higher ratio of lysine to arginine will suppress the viral replication and inhibit the cytopathogenicity of the herpes simplex virus. L-Lysine is seen to be an effective agent for reducing the occurrence, severity and healing time for HSV infection that reoccurs.

Food items that have more lysine than arginine are fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer’s yeast and bean sprouts. Peas, gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, whole-wheat, white flour, peanuts, soybeans and wheat germ are known to have more arginine than lysine.

By Tom Sample

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now & From Coming Back for Good by Dr David Hogg

Besides doctor’s prescription, many folks with herpes will try their hands on age-old home remedies to heal faster and lead as much a normal life as possible.

Crex Lee shared in her same titled article that “However, small, though irritating and painful in a physical sense, such sores or blisters about the area of the mouth can be ease through home remedies for herpes cold sores. ” She recommends:

Vitamin supplement is one of the great home remedies for herpes cold sores.

You may also drink lemon juice in the morning. It’s very good for over all health and can give you an extra boost to treat it.

Take a washrag, dip it in milk and dab it on the affected area for about 20 seconds. Repeat the process a couple of times.

Compress warm tea bag. Apply a warm tea bag for 10 minutes every hour during the tingling stages can also speed up the healing process.

Certain foods can prolong the occurrence of cold sores, while some can trigger their recurrence. Limit your consumption of processed foods as they are more likely to trigger an outbreak.

Apply ice during the early stage. It can greatly slow down the development of the sore. It is very beneficial to hold the ice to the sore for about 3 to 5 minutes repeating it for a few hours.

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now & From Coming Back for Good by Dr David Hogg

When I saw this cartoon, it reminded me of the Chinese tale of a man people named him “Stupid Man”. His house faced a big mountain and to walk to the nearest civilization, he had to make a detour. So he made a decision to remove the big mountain by removing stones, a little every day. People who came to know about his uphill endeavour all laughed and the tale of “The Stupid Man Moving the Mountain” was born.

What is seeming impossible is not possible. It is just daunting and tough. When going gets tough, the tough gets going. Sometimes, the cheese is just around the corner, it’s just that we can’t see it. Having herpes is tough but it is not the end of the world. Excel in your job, revel in making new friends, and do the things you usually do or haven’t try. Life doesn’t end with herpes. Just ask those folks at positive singles.

Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1995.

Dr. Denice M. Moffat shared about using Lysine during herpes breakout:

Lysine is considered an essential amino acid, a component of protein that our body cannot make. Many people use it to assist healing of herpes sores. With other supplements, it can also be effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and hypothyroidism.

Lysine can be used topically or taken internally as a free-form amino acid or eaten as natural food sources. Free-form means that the individual amino acid has been isolated from a protein source and is purely a single amino acid. Free-form amino acids are used specifically in righting deficiencies.

High lysine foods include corn, poultry, and avocados. Lysine acts to rebuild muscle and repair tissue. Lysine is also important for calcium uptake in the remodeling and building of bones. It also helps in the formation of collagen, hormones and enzymes.

Use a high quality amino acid, as they have fewer fillers and you get more bang for your buck that way. I use TwinLabs, Solaray, Source Naturals brands in my practice.

One more trick I use in my practice that is quite effective for mouth sores is to recommend that the affected person “speak their truth.” Once they release the emotions they are holding inside of them, the sores usually go away in less than a week.

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now & From Coming Back for Good by Dr David Hogg

Genital herpes affects many of us. All of us want to protect ourselves. The problem is the anxiety about getting genital herpes if the partner shows no signs, but is a carrier? What if he/she had contacted cold sores in the childhood? Will you get genital herpes? Let us find out.

Genital herpes- basics

Here are few basics about genital herpes. It can be caused by virus type 1 that causes cold sores. Most of the carriers are in a phase when they show no outward sign but shed the virus (asymptomatic phase). After contacting herpes, you will become infected but may show no symptoms for years. Unfortunately you may suspect a different partner when you get the eruption. The earlier one that gave you herpes is only in the memory. Many of us believe that genital herpes is only caused by virus type2. This is not true. Let me put it like this. If you have genital herpes, it is difficult for your partner to get cold sores. But if you have cold sores, your partner can easily get genital herpes.

Genital herpes- about the habit of the virus

The herpes virus behaves in a typical manner. as soon as you contact herpes, the virus begins multiplying. You may get a severe eruption of herpes or a very mild. After treatment the virus goes to sleep. Because of certain reasons, the virus goes back to the skin. The trigger may be- stress, illness, lowered immunity etc. After going back to the skin, the virus erupts again and shows herpes on the skin. It gets treated again and goes back to sleep to return after some time.

Even if your partner shows no signs of herpes, if he/she is an active carrier of cold sores or virus type2, you may get infected. Only screening will tell you about the status of your partner. Please protect yourself from genital herpes. To know more about herpes- click here- Herpes Simplex This article is only for informative purposes.

This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

by: DC Mohatta

According to Kent Pinkerton ’s article, “5 Methods of Herpes Testing”:

There are basically five ways to diagnose herpes in a patient. Herpes testing should not just include detection of the virus but its type and location as well. Knowing the type and location of the virus is important in assessing risks for transmission. Diagnostic measures in herpes testing include

• clinical examination,
• viral culture,
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR),
• non-type specific blood tests and
• type-specific blood tests.

Clinical examination of a patient includes history and physical examination. The doctor may ask about the patient?s sexual partners and practices. A time line should be constructed as sores usually appear two to three weeks after the infection. Other important questions include presence of pain, itching, tingling, difficulty in urinating, et cetera. Physical examination includes checking for location of sores and swellings of the lymph nodes. Clinical examination is important in assessing the signs and symptoms of herpes but it does not confirm an infection by herpes as the symptoms may be seen in other diseases, the symptoms may present atypically or symptoms may not be present at all.

The second step in herpes testing is viral isolation and culture, which is the most valid test for herpes. The test is effective only when active viral shedding from open sores is present. Viral culture can identify the location of infection and make a distinction between HSV-1 and HSV-2.

PCR distinguishes between HSV-1 and HSV-2 as well. It is more sensitive than viral culture that produces many false negatives. Active viral shedding is also a prerequisite for this procedure.

Non-type specific blood tests in herpes testing include Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). It can identify the presence of herpes infection but cannot differentiate the two types. Other blood tests which may be requested for herpes testing include detection of IgM and IgG antibodies but these are not specific to herpes and these are only reliable after a certain period of time after the infection.

Type-specific blood tests for detection of herpes include Western blot, Immunoblot test or a more specific type of ELISA. These blood tests do not require active viral shedding from open sores.