What is Genital Herpes?
Genital Herpes is an extremely common yet annoying condition that can manifest in the form of sores or blisters around the genital area. Home remedies for Genital Herpes are highly beneficial in healing these sores and controlling the infection to some extent.
Basically, Genital Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by herpes simplex virus infection. More often than not, the condition does not lead to any significant symptom worth noting. Therefore, in most of the cases, infected individuals remain unaware of the condition.
Nonetheless, experiencing painful and recurring Genital Herpes sores due to this infection is not uncommon. Moreover, it makes people more susceptible to HIV infection.
Causes of Genital Herpes
Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 and Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 can primarily be held responsible for causing this contagious sexually transmitted disease. It is spread through direct contact with an infected person. HSV 1 also causes Cold Sores. Infection due to HSV 2 is more common in women.
Individuals with weak or suppressed immune system are more susceptible to this problem. Factors like hormonal changes, pregnancy, menstruation, prolonged stress, genital infections, intake of steroid medications, exposure to sun etc are likely to trigger Genital Herpes outbreaks
Symptoms of Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes only causes minor or no symptoms at all. However, it can cause severe symptoms like blisters on or around the genital area in certain cases. Additional symptoms like painful urination, vaginal discharge, fever, flu-like symptoms and cold sores around mouth may also be present, especially when an individual is infected for first time.
These symptoms usually last up to 20 days. Outbreaks due to HSV 2 occur more frequently as compared to Genital Herpes outbreaks caused by HSV 1. However, the recurrences tend to become less severe and heal sooner with the passage of time.
Itching, tingling and burning sensation may be felt before the appearance of sores caused by the infection. Given below are some natural remedies for Genital Herpes home treatment. However, keep in mind that there is no definite cure for Genital Herpes.
Natural Home Remedies for Genital Herpes
• Warm sitz baths, showers and compresses serve as excellent natural home remedies for Genital Herpes sores. You can add Epsom salt in bath water to make this therapy more effective. Follow this simple method about three to four times in a day.
In addition, keep the sores clean and dry between sitz baths. Some people prefer using hair dryers instead of towels to dry off the sores. Air blown by hair dryers helps relieve the burning pain to some extent.
• Placing ice packs is also helpful in reducing pain and itching associated with Genital Herpes sores. You can also use wet tea bags for this purpose.
• Applying cotton balls soaked in milk is another valuable natural remedy for Genital Herpes sores. Cooking and then using a mixture of olive oil, lavender oil and beeswax is also beneficial.
• Boil about two to three cups of water and add an ounce of black walnut tree powder for almost 15 minutes. Finally, soak a cotton ball in this solution and apply it on the affected area to get rid of Genital Herpes at home.
• Herbal teas (especially peppermint tea) are considered as valuable Genital Herpes home remedies. You can also have 4-5 cups of licorice tea prepared by steeping half or one teaspoon of dried licorice root in 8 ounces of water for about 10 minutes. Do not continue follow this treatment for long or else it may lead to liver damage, high blood pressure, water retention etc.
• Mix equal parts of goldenseal powder, echinacea powder, black walnut hull powder and add some St John’s wort tincture in the mixture to prepare a paste. Apply this herbal cure on the affected area after cleaning and drying it. This is a very popular natural home remedy for Genital Herpes.
• Applying aloe vera gel or sap extracted from aloe vera plant is a highly beneficial Genital Herpes natural cure. Extra virgin coconut oil, tea tree oil, cornstarch and baking soda compress also help in getting rid of Genital Herpes sores naturally. Do not use petroleum jellies and cortisone creams on the affected area as they tend to worsen the situation.
• Another useful tip for dealing with Genital Herpes is to wear comfortable cotton under wears rather than the ones prepared from synthetic fabrics because cotton fabric helps absorb moisture.
Apart from following these natural home remedies for Genital Herpes, take adequate steps like avoiding sexual intercourse during an outbreak and limiting the number of sexual partners to reduce the chances of spreading the infection to others and making it worse for yourself.
Diet for Genital Herpes
Diet and nutrition also play an important role in healing Genital Herpes. Emphasis on inclusion of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and other nutrients that strengthen the immune system is highly recommended. Therefore, eat figs, papayas, apples, apricots, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, beetroot, sprouts etc on a regular basis.
You can also take supplements like L-lysine to inhibit viral growth. Besides, avoid having arginine rich foods like nuts, seeds, oats, corns, chocolates, meats, egg whites, gelatin and other such foods because arginine tends to suppress lysine.
When dealing with Genital Herpes, restrict the consumption of processed and refined foods. Moreover, stay away from cigarette smoking, and alcoholic and caffeinated beverages. In addition, avoid touching the affected area, manage stress by learning relaxation techniques, engage in moderate exercise and follow natural home remedies for Genital Herpes to reduce the problem considerably.
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