By Nanci Elliott

I have been conducting a tremendous amount of research on the causes of herpes outbreaks in the past few years and I am now at the point where coffee is looking like a serious culprit. I could not find any medical studies directly linking caffeine to herpes outbreaks (and as there is no money to be made from linking the two, I am not sure who would ever fund this study), I did find a significant amount of data regarding coffee and the adrenal glands.

Coffee and Exhaustion: When you drink coffee, the caffeine will begin by enhancing neuron activity in your brain. This increased neuron activity sends a message to your pituitary gland to secrete a hormone which in return, sends a message to your adrenal glands to release adrenalin. Adrenaline is an important factor in the, “fight or flight” response which puts your body under great stress. Adrenaline is very important if we are being chased in a dark alley or preparing for an athletic event, but at our work desk each morning? Not so important.

Exhaustion and Herpes Outbreaks: This constant flooding of unnecessary adrenaline, coupled with the sharp drop in adrenaline as the hormone wears off, depletes our adrenal glands and can cause fatigue, headache, irritability and/or mental confusion. Continuing with the cycle for years can leave one in a state of complete exhaustion, and it is this exhaustion that in my opinion can lead to chronic herpes outbreaks. Caffeine; where is it? I have identified coffee as a major source of caffeine but it is vital to recognize that caffeine is found in abundance in chocolate, tea (black and green), and soft drinks.

Additional Reading:

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

Positive Single – Support site for herpes members.

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

When you come to terms with your herpes diagnosis, you’ll really need to make a decision about what treatment options you will utilize. If you are single, and intend to date people without herpes – this is doubly important.

As you know, there is no cure to the herpes simplex virus. Although the virus is not deadly or particularly dangerous – it is still incurable. Disclosing your status to any potential sexual partner is a must. There are many within the herpes community who do not feel comfortable dating outside of the “group” – however when dating people who do not have herpes, there are a few things that you can and should do to protect them.

1. Be honest about your outbreaks: Nothing ruins spontaneity like an annoying herpes outbreak! You should consider yourself highly contagious when you are experiencing an outbreak, so it is best to refrain from intercourse during these times.

2. Pay attention to your prodrome symptoms: Part of being honest about your outbreaks involves you knowing when they actually occur. Due to the fact that they aren’t always visible or noticeable – keep track of the symptoms you have immediately before an active outbreak. In other words, are your glands and lymph nodes tender? Do you have any body aches? Abnormal itching? A tingling sensation near your outbreak sites? Knowing your symptoms will give you a better idea of when you may be shedding.

3. Eat healthy: Many people with herpes report increase in outbreaks when they eat certain foods. It is widely known that things like peanuts, caffeine, and even wine can cause the dormant virus to make it’s way to the surface. If certain foods are your triggers, try to avoid them or find alternatives.

4. Take a form of suppressive therapy: We’re sure you’ve seen the cheesy Valtrex commercials – where one person in the couple has herpes, and the other person has not – and it’s been that way for years! As cheesy as they may be, there is an element in truth behind the commercial and the product itself. Studies show that when taken regularly, Valtrex drastically reduces the chances of passing the virus on to your partner. If you are dating outside of the herpes community, you should make it a point to take your meds on a daily basis as prescribed.

5. Always use protection: It is important to note that the herpes simplex virus can be passed on even when you use condoms. Since the primary form of transmission is through skin to skin contact, if you have surface level shedding in a place not covered by a condom – you are still contagious. It is also important to remind you that both genital and oral herpes can be transmitted during oral sex. With those things said, using condoms is still a “must”. Condoms combined with suppressive therapy reduce the transmission rate to less than 2-3%

Now these five tips are just a few of the ways to make dating those without herpes less stressful, the other alternative is to explore your dating options amongst the herpes community. Although the disease is still taboo and demonized, there is a rather large online dating community out there just waiting to meet you! Positive Singles is one of the premiere herpes dating sites.

Have you struggled with relationships since being diagnosed with genital herpes? Herpes doesn’t signal the end of your love life. As managing editor of YouGotHerpes.com, I give practical tips and advice on how to have a fulfilling and meaningful love life after herpes.

by: Savannah Francis

Additional Reading:

Positive Single – Support site for herpes members.

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

Cold Sore Freedom in 3 days by Grace Melgarejo

Cold sores are characterized by facial lesions on the lips or around the mouth. Their medical name is Herpes labialis and they were once considered to be a ‘kissing disease’. The news they are suffering from herpes is often very scary to a person, but they need to be aware that there are two types of herpes. Type One is typically seen above the waistline, and type two below the waistline. Therefore the cold sores around the mouth are not a good indicator of the presence of genital herpes.

Herpes Labialis is unlike a regular infection in that the appearance of facial lesions is not a result of recent exposure to Herpes germs, but rather a reactivation of some of the herpes virus that has been lying dormant in the body. These dormant virus particles may have been lying around the body inactive for some time so clearly kissing, or any other contact activity, cannot be the cause of the facial lesions that we know as cold sores.

When a person is initially exposed to the virus which causes cold sores it is known as ‘primary herpetic stomatitis’. The initial exposure can be as a result of direct contact, such as kissing. The symptoms are quite different from cold sores and include:

* Fever, headaches and irritability as well as pain when swallowing.
* Swollen gums
* Painful mouth
* Tiny blisters throughout the mouth, these will usually rupture by the third day forming ulcers.

Many people cannot remember any of these symptoms, and this is hardly surprising considering that most people who contract the virus do so before the age of seven. Even then nearly every case is ‘subclinical’, meaning it is never serious enough to be referred to a doctor, so is allowed to run it’s course(usually an infection lasts 10-14 days) and then forgotten.

Roughly 80% of the population is thought to carry the primary herpetic stomatitis antibody. The body only produces the antibody in defense against the virus itself, and in all cases once the virus is present particles will remain. Of that 80% however, only a small number(about one third) will have the virus reactivate and get cold sores. Some of the triggers which can serve to reactivate the virus are:

* When the victim is emotionally upset or under stress.
* Physical stress, tiredness or fatigue.
* Recent illness such as a cold or flu.
* Damage to the lips or skin, including severe chapping, sun or wind burn.
* Changes in hormone levels such as those seen during menstruation or pregnancy
* A deficiency in the immune system

In other words an outbreak is more likely to occur whenever the bodies immune system is working sub-optimally or has been heavily taxed fighting off another problem.

Beverley A Brooke

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

Positive Single – Support site for herpes members.

Cold Sore Freedom in 3 days by Grace Melgarejo