Genital Herpes Therapy
There is no complete cure for genital herpes, but appropriate treatment with antiviral prescription drugs and a healthy lifestyle may aid in resolving the herpes infection. Oral genital herpes typically results from an HSV type 1 infection, whereas genital herpes typically results from an HSV type 2 infection; however, both infections are treatable. However, the infections cannot be cured entirely. The discomfort and agony caused by genital herpes can be alleviated by over-the-counter medications, home remedies, and other options. [7]
Medical treatments
The doctor may recommend that you take the medication only when you are experiencing symptoms of a herpes outbreak, or he or she may recommend that you take certain medications daily, even when there are no symptoms. These antiviral medications are generally well tolerated by patients and have minimal side effects. Treatment of genital herpes with antiviral prescription drugs can:
Reduce the likelihood of herpes virus transmission to others.
Reduce the incidence of recurrence
Facilitate faster healing of lesions during the initial outbreak of herpes infection.
Reduce the duration and severity of symptoms in repeated outbreaks.
There are various circumstances in which antiviral prescription medications are the best option, and the vast majority of these situations involve genital herpes infection. Prescriptions for herpes infection are almost exclusively antiviral medications, and like over-the-counter topical preparations, they prevent the spread of the herpes virus but do not eradicate it from the body. If a person is experiencing a first herpes outbreak or a recurrence, a brief course of one of the available antiviral medications is the first-line treatment.
People with frequent episodes may be required to take one of these antiviral drugs on a daily basis as part of a course of treatment known as suppressive therapy. Taking medication for genital herpes infection when there are no signs or symptoms of the infection reduces the risk of transmission through sexual contact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following medications for adults with genital herpes, but your doctor will determine which medication is best for you:
Zovirax Zovirax 400 mg is the finest drug to use three times per day for seven to ten days to treat the initial outbreak of herpes infection. While you can use 400 mg of Zovirax three times a day for almost five days to treat a recurrent herpes infection outbreak, it is not recommended.
Valtrex Valtrex 500mg is the most effective treatment for the initial outbreak of herpes infection when taken twice a day for almost seven days, and once a day for seven days to treat recurrent outbreaks.
Famvir Famvir 250 mg is an additional medication that can be taken twice daily for ten to seven days to treat the initial outbreak of herpes infection in adults. To prevent a recurrence of the herpes infection, however, you can take 250 mg of famvir twice daily for five days.
