Home remedies for herpes

Introduction to herpes

There are the two types of herpes viruses—HSV – 1 (herpes simplex virus 1) and HSV – 2.

The first kind is responsible for the outbreak of fever blisters and cold sores that usually affect the mouth and lips, but can also appear on the eyes, nose, cheeks and fingers.

The second type causes genital herpes and other more severe conditions.

These herpes sores will be very painful and highly contagious, and of course, appear in the genital area.

When a person has HSV – 1 some of the most common symptoms include cold sores, especially around the lips, accompanied with a burning, tingling sensation and pain. They will appear as red pimples that will eventually turn into blisters and are usually also accompanied by a mild fever and swollen lymph nodes in the neck area.

When a person has the second type, there will be itching and burning in the genital area in the first stages. After that, bumps will appear on this area, which may turn into unsightly blisters and open lesions.

They can later develop into even more painful sores that can get infected as well. These genital herpes appear on the vagina and cervix in women and on the penis in men. They can also infect the urinary tract and result in blisters on the anal area, buttocks and thighs as well.

Accompanying symptoms of the second type of herpes, the genital variety, include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen glands in the groin area, painful urination and unpleasant discharge from the vagina and penis in some cases.

Treatments

There are some home remedies that can be used to treat herpes, however.

When a person has herpes that result in cold sores, then they should be using bags of black tea. First make some black tea and then let the bag cool off. After that, place the bag on the affected area for about five minutes and repeat this at least twice a day, if not three times.

Ice packs will also help to sooth the area in which the blisters have erupted. It will also help to stop the virus from spreading, because the cold will suppress the virus.

This will work best in the early stages, as soon as a person notices that an a case of herpes is oncoming. It is also important to wrap ice in a towel or tissue and not to apply it directly to the skin, because that can cause further damage to the area.

When a person has genital herpes, the best home remedy is to soak themselves in a bath full of Epsom Salt for about 20 minutes. This will bring immediate relief to the itching and burning sensations and cause the inflammation to die down, which will also make it less likely for the person to spread the virus to other people they come in contact with or to other parts of their own body.