What is Genital Herpes?
Genital herpes is a very common STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) caused by the HSV-2 (Herpes Simplex Virus-2). This is highly contagious and spreads from contact.
Causes of Genital Herpes
HSV-1 (Herpes Simplex Virus-1): This causes blisters and sores around mouth. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also spread through oral sex.
HSV-2 (Herpes Simplex Virus-2): This causes genital herpes. It spreads through sex and skin to skin contact.
Symptoms of Genital Herpes
After infection there is an incubation period of 2 to 21 days before symptoms appear. This is called primary attack.
Subsequent attacks are called breakouts. Now let us discuss the symptoms:
- Painful, red, watery blisters in the genital area.
- Painful ulcers form when blisters rupture.
- Ulcers discharge and bleed.
- Burning while urination and sex.
- Frequent urination.
- Numbness, tingling, itching, and burning in the genital area.
- Surrounding glands become swollen and painful.
- Sometimes, the primary attack of herpes can be very severe with fever, headache, and body ache.
- Blisters can develop on penis, scrotum, vagina, vulva, cervix, urethra, anus, buttocks, thighs, mouth.
Blood Tests in Genital Herpes
Those who have active genital herpes and have symptoms should get DNA test done.
The name of this test is PCR NAAT.
It is fast and accurate and can easily tell if the patient has HSV-1 or HSV-2.
Those who do not have symptoms should get IgG test done.
Basically, this test detects antibodies against herpes.
A positive HSV-2 antibody test suggests chronic genital herpes infection.
Complications of Genital Herpes
- If you have genital herpes, then you are more prone to other STDs.
- Females with genital herpes can give birth to babies with brain damage, blindness or the baby may die.
- Genital herpes damages urethra which leads to development of stricture.
Allopathic Treatment
When a genital herpes patient consults a skin specialist, he prescribes antiviral medicines such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir.
With these medicines, the symptoms of the patient get better, but he is not cured. As soon as the treatment is stopped, recurrent outbreaks start. This happens again and again which is very frustrating for the patient. Gradually, the medicines stop working.
Apart from this, allopathic medicines have side effects such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, depression, stuffy nose, sore throat, joint pains, skin rash.
Homeopathic Treatment
I have seen in my clinical practice, which I have been doing since 1997, that patients coming to us have already tried allopathic treatment for genital herpes. But even then, their problems are not solved.
Patient suffers from burning, itching, pain, tingling, discharge, blisters, ulcers, and frequency of outbreaks is also increased.
I have seen that genital herpes is more common in males, but I also have female patients.
According to me, classical constitutional homeopathic treatment can treat genital herpes effectively.
This type of treatment also improves the general immunity of the patient.
There are no antiviral medicines in homeopathy. In cases of recurrent genital herpes our remedies correct the immune system of the body.
This creates such an environment in the body that the herpes simplex virus cannot grow and sustain in it; and the genital herpes problem of the patient is cured.
In addition, I prescribe calendula cream to my patients because it has natural antibiotic properties.
With homeopathy:
- Blisters and ulcers get healed.
- Frequency and severity of outbreaks reduce.
- The chances of transmitting herpes virus to others reduce.
Genital herpes is a disease which tests the patience of both the doctor and the patient because it takes 1 to 2 years to cure it.
Number of Medicines
There are around 53 medicines in homeopathy for genital herpes which are very effective.
Now which of these medicines are to be given, in how much potency, how many times in a day – this is a complicated process which only a highly qualified and experienced doctor can do.
A sensible doctor never prescribes on the name of the disease genital herpes. He takes complete history of the patient, then studies his symptoms properly.
After this he selects the medicines keeping in mind the susceptibility of the patient and decides upon the potency and repetition of medicines.
In genital herpes, I prescribe for one month and then review the patient after that. Every month, the case is studied again thereby finetuning the medicines and their potencies.
Name of Medicines?
In this blog I have not named any medicines, nor I have promoted medicines of any company; because by doing so I will be playing with your health and may harm you. A sane doctor will never do this!
Top 15 Home Remedies & Diet Tips for Genital Herpes
- Adding garlic in food helps immune system to fight against viral infections.
- Avoid Arginine rich foods such as peanuts, cashews, chocolate as herpes virus needs the amino acid arginine to live.
- To prevent herpes virus from increasing, eat lysine rich foods like milk, cheese, fish.
- Eating vitamin E rich food decreases pain and helps in healing the ulcers.
- Drink turmeric milk once a day.
- Do not touch the infected area.
- Keep the area clean and dry.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Avoid kissing and sex.
- Do not share your clothes and belongings and wash them separately.
- Avoid tight clothes.
- Apply calendula ointment as it is a natural antibiotic.
- Apply fresh aloe vera gel on ulcers as it helps with healing. You can mix aloe vera gel and calendula ointment.
- Dip a tea bag in water and place it on the affected area for 5 minutes. It helps with itching.
- Do yoga and meditation.