How to Treat Herpes Symptoms in Women

Women become infected with herpes from skin to skin contact with a person who has herpes lesion or is a carrier of the antibody.  Once infected with herpes there is no cure, however there are natural and prescription medication that will lessen the herpes outbreaks so that you can live a relatively normal life.

Herpes is a lesion that looks like a cold sore or a blister.  When the herpes lesion erupts; a liquid substance will emerge from the sore. The lesion will then form a crust like scab and will heal. The time period from start to finish for the  herpes blister will last approximately 10 to 21 days.  The herpes lesion will run a full course, which is approximately ten days before it erupts.

Early stage symptoms usually occur 7 to 14 days after a woman is infected with  herpes. A woman will feel an itchy or tingling sensation.  She will also have flu like symptoms; headache, muscle aches, joint pain, fever, swollen lymph nodes. These symptoms will occur prior to a herpes lesion outbreak.  Lesions will occur in 3 to 6 days.

Step 1

Determine if you have herpes by noting when you had unprotected skin to skin contact without a condom and your symptoms.  If you feel a tingling or itchiness in your genital area, take a hand mirror and examine the area by  looking for inflammation of the skin and small red blisters.

Step 2

Make an appointment with women’s clinic or gynecologist.  The doctor will draw blood for herpes antibody test or take a culture from the blister.

Step 3

The herpes breakouts can be controlled with antiviral medication that is taken orally or applied to the skin surface.  Your doctor will prescribe and antiviral medication;  Acyclovir- (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex) that is right for you.  Take this medication according to your doctor’s instructions.

Step 4

Treat herpes with diet by avoiding alcoholic beverages, processed foods white flour, sugar, all carbohydrates, and coffee.  Boost your immune system by following a vegetarian diet.  Increase your antioxidant intake by adding citrus, green leafy vegetables, cranberries and blue berries to your diet. This healthy diet will fuel your body with the antioxidants that are needed to fight off the herpes virus.

Step 5

Supplement your diet with primrose oil, garlic, Echinacea, lemon balm and goldenseal herbs.  Purchase herbs at the health food store.  These herbs will boost your immune system. Take herbs in capsule form or brew tea and drink daily.

Step 6

Another way to treat herpes is to take the amino acid L-lysine daily.  Follow the dosage instructions o the bottle. This amino acid will lessen the outbreaks and will aid in healing the blister.

Step 7

Ease the pain associated with the lesions by taking a warm Epsom salt bath three times a day, this will also ease the itching. Use a cotton towel to pat the infected area dry gently.

Step 8

Apply the liquid from a Vitamin A capsule directly to the herpes lesion, and then repeat the process with Vitamin E capsule. Administer the vitamin liquid three times a day until healed. The Vitamin A and E will heal and prevent the infection from spreading.

Step 9

Reduce your stress level. Stress and anxiety along with an unhealthy diet will induce a herpes breakout.  Exercise daily to reduce stress.  Relax at the end of the day by taking a lavender herbal bath.  Go to bed at the same time every night so that you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep nightly.

Tips and Warnings

Tell your partners that you have herpes.  They must be tested to confirm if they are infected.

Women with herpes have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

Pregnant women who have genital herpes must deliver baby by C-section.  This will prevent the viral infection from being transmitted to the baby during vaginal delivery.

Use condom when participating in intimate activity.  The condom will protect you from being infected with the genital herpes.  You do not need to have intercourse to become infected.

Herpes virus lessens as the individual ages, however if the woman is under a great deal of stress, or their immune system is weakened an outbreak will occur.

45 million American women are infected with genital herpes.  That means 1 in 4 women age 12 or older are infected with this life long disease.

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