Once you get herpes, you have it for life. But that doesn't mean life has to be worse for it. Herpes is often dormant, and when it flares up there are many remedies to make the symptoms bearable. Everyone has physical problems to deal with, and yours is limited to herpes. The best way to live with the virus is to accept that it is part of you and to manage it feeling comfortable to improve the quality of life.
Steps
Step 1. Forgive the person who passed on herpes to you
Even if you have been deceived and put you at risk without your consent, holding onto anger and resentment not only aggravates your health, but also binds you psychologically to a negative event that you have no way of changing.
Step 2. Forgive yourself for contracting herpes
Many people with herpes feel dirty, ashamed, repudiated and compromised for having what for many is just a simple skin infection, no worse than moderate eczema. Accept that you have herpes and the fact that you will probably have it for the rest of your life, and understand that this does not mean that you are more immoral, less ethical, less attractive, or less worthy than you were before getting infected.
Step 3. Come out
Most of the stigma referred to herpes comes from the infected people themselves. Tell your friends and family that you have herpes. Ask for support and understanding in the same way you would ask if you have a non-sexually transmitted disease. Very often how others react to you is a reflection of how you approach them. The more you are at peace with your herpes, the more likely you are to find support and understanding from the people around you. 60% of the adult population has type 1 or 2 herpes, so you are a member of the majority and not an obscure minority.
Step 4. Identify the triggers
Herpes reactivates with stress, too much sun exposure, poor food choices, a yeast problem, too little sleep, and / or too many parties that bring disorder into your routine. Herpes is like a seed in a desert. It stays asleep indefinitely unless given the signal to germinate.
Step 5. Learn to live with it
Whether prayers, creative visualizations, meditations, positive affirmations, or a mix of everything, allow you to feel peaceful with the virus. Let go of anger, resentment and anguish. If you maintain balance and peace in your mind and body, herpes becomes an insubstantial element in your life.
Advice
- Be sure to alternate types of treatments, following others for future outbreaks. Changing treatments often prevents herpes from adapting quickly to medications.
- Never let anyone tell you that herpes should stop you from having sex (except during an active outbreak). This is a minor skin disorder and shouldn't affect sex life.
- Fed with foods rich in omega fatty acids such as hemp and flax seeds, salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, avocados and olives. Eat organic yogurt every day with at least 2.5% milk fat. Eat a lot of garlic or take it with supplements. Eat brewer's yeast or take a selenium supplement.
- When the amino acid lysine is greater in the diet (obtained from some foods and drinks) than the amino acid arginine, herpes spreads with greater difficulty. When, on the contrary, it is arginine greater than lysine, herpes multiplies rapidly.
- Licorice root is effective for herpes. Drink tea every day during the acute phases. Licorice root extract works very well when used in lotions and creams. ATTENTION: however, it must not be used by pregnant women.
- Valerian and passion flower are ideal herbs for calming the nerves, but lemon balm and St. John's wort are equally effective.
- Lysine supplements are very effective if you take them as soon as you notice the characteristic symptoms of an outbreak or, better yet, just before experiencing the usual triggers. You should therefore take them before sun exposure, chocolate and nut binges, wine, etc. Whey protein is a great source of lysine and includes other amino acids, so it would be best when you need to use it regularly for the long term. Whey protein drinks are delicious. WARNING: Don't rely on lysine supplements to feel empowered to regularly eat more chocolate, nuts, alcohol, etc. One day, the virus may get used to it and the lysine will no longer be very effective. So, don't take it again once the rash heals. However, you can drink a whey protein every day if you want.
- Meditation or progressive relaxation can calm the nerves.
- Tackle herpes from a certain perspective. It is a clinically irrelevant virus and most of the time it is not active.
- Hypericum is also an effective herb for herpes. Use it as a topical tea or cream, conditioner, or lotion. Avoid staying too much in the sun the next day, although some exposure to the sun seems to increase the effectiveness of St. John's wort.
- In your diet avoid caffeine in all forms, therefore in chocolate, coffee, green tea and black tea. Avoid nicotine and excessive alcohol consumption. Do not eat any kind of nuts and seeds except hemp seeds and flax seeds. Avoid raisins, carob, jelly and cereals. You must also give up wine and grapes during acute crises. Follow a low-sugar diet with only a moderate amount of wholemeal bread and pasta.
- You can find foods that contain lysine and arginine by clicking on the respective links.
- Do yoga or tai-chi or qi-gong. Do a lot of boxing or play tennis, squash or paddle.
- Lemon balm is a very effective plant, and is a regularly prescribed treatment in Germany. You can drink lemon balm as a tea, and apply the extract topically in lotions or creams. You should alternate this treatment with another type, since herpes also adapts to lemon balm and over time its effects will lessen; but this is above all a problem for those who suffer from multiple outbreaks during the year.
- When you see a rash or skin lesions caused by herpes, immediately apply a small drop of tea tree oil 3 times a day on the lesion using a cotton swab. Be careful not to drop the oil directly on the lesion, as it is very powerful and can burn if applied too much. The rash should go away within a day or two.
- You can use lysine-based creams during each acute phase, but every other day with another type of treatment. For example, one day you can put lysine cream and the following day a herb.
- If you have genital herpes, don't use fabric softeners in your laundry.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs and herbs, such as ibuprofen, have been shown to reduce the swelling associated with the virus in sensitive areas, including the anus and vaginal area. While this does not usually decrease symptoms, it still helps with the pain.
- If the herpes forms full, "mature" "bubbles" during the rash, you can find great relief by taking a hot shower, then carefully drying the area with toilet paper, and with a larger piece of paper, fold and pinch the area. "bubble" by squeezing and twisting it. Then pat with new toilet paper until it dries, and apply a cream / conditioner; finally put some gauze and fix it with a paper plaster.
Warnings
- Ignore internet sites. If you google 'herpes' you risk finding a lot of untrustworthy nonsense, or requests for help from victims seeking new treatments, which will only make you feel worse. Instead, contact the various support groups or call the emergency numbers if necessary; they can give you more precise information and better support.
- Do your research before trying remedies like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and hydrogen peroxide. Avoid nonoxynol-9. This spermicide has been shown to increase the chances of passing on an STD.
