Typical Signs and Treatment Options for Genital Herpes

Genital herpes is a type of sexually transmitted disease that one gets through sexual or oral contact with another person that is afflicted by the viral disease. Oral herpes or Herpes Simplex Virus 1 is normally transmitted via oral contact such as kissing and is associated with the occurrence of cold sores or fever blisters on the patient’s lips and in the mouth. HSV-1 can also affect the genitalia if an infected individual engages in oral sex. One can pass on the virus even if there are no clinical symptoms that are associated with the viral disease. You stand the risk of getting the infection if you get in contact with a person who is actively shedding the virus immediately following an outbreak or just before the emergence of sores or blisters. On the other hand, genital herpes or Herpes Simplex Virus 2 is passed from an infected person to another person who does not have the virus through sexual contact. The normal incubation period of herpes is around 2 weeks. It is during this timeframe that typical signs and symptoms start to manifest. Signs and Symptoms of Genital Herpes In order to avert the spread of the viral disease, it is important that you learn to identify and distinguish the distinctive signs and symptoms that are associated to genital herpes. Proper management and control of genital herpes must start with familiarization of the typical signs and symptoms. The onset of a herpes outbreak is marked by fatigue or low-grade fever. Other signs and symptoms include itchiness, numbness, burning sensation and pain within and around the genitalia. There is also the emergence of bumps that are reddish in color and are moderately raised. The more severe cases of genital herpes are characterized by the presence of minute blisters that rupture and secrete a clear substance. Treatment of Genital Herpes The primary goal of treatment regimen for genital herpes is to suppress the occurrence of herpes outbreaks. The more common medications for this kind of treatment approach include Acyclovir, Valacyclovir and Famciclovir. These medications are indicated for HSV 1 and HSV 2 and come either in oral or topical preparations. Management of Genital Herpes through Episodic Intervention Medical professionals agree that the episodic treatment approach is the most effective method in managing and controlling this viral disease in cases where outbreaks occur occasionally. In which case, your doctor may prescribe any of the drugs that are mentioned in the preceding section. Treatment normally runs for 5 days or more.